FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England striker Saër Sène may have to wait to make his MLS debut.
Sène picked up a knock on his left knee during last Saturday night's 0-0 draw with the LA Galaxy in Tucson, Ariz., and experienced a bout of swelling in the area as he made his way home with the squad on Sunday.
The 25-year-old striker did not train with the Revs on Tuesday or Wednesday and is rated as doubtful for Saturday's visit to San Jose.
“We're going to be smart with him and make sure it's nothing too serious,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps told MLSsoccer.com. “We have to make sure we back him down. He had a little swelling in knee. We have to listen [to the medical staff] for what is best for the player at this point.”
A second cross-country trip in four days may or may not fall into that particular category. Heaps said the return journey from Arizona played a part in the problems Sène encountered when he landed in Massachusetts.
“He's had a little bit of swelling,” Heaps said. “He's not overreacting, we're not overreacting. It's a six-hour flight. That's 12 hours in the air. That's what happened the first time: he got a knock, he got on a plane and it just swelled.”
If Sène isn't fit enough to feature at the weekend, Heaps can turn to the likes of Blake Brettschneider, Fernando Cárdenas, Diego Fagundez, Alec Purdie and Mike Roach to fill the forward berths. The potential for an open spot or two up front would continue what Heaps dubbed a “good, clean competition” for playing time during the preseason.
“We do have some options,” Heaps said. “They aren't 100 percent MLS proven yet, but, at the same time, I remember my first game. I wasn't MLS proven and I loved the opportunity.”
GET TICKETS to San Jose Earthquakes vs. New England Revolution, Saturday, March 10, 2012, 10:30 pm ET at Buck Shaw Stadium
