SEATTLE – Despite Mauro Rosales and Osvaldo Alonso both being held out of Thursday’s 11-on-11 drills at CenturyLink Field, the Seattle Sounders should have close to a full complement of players for the stretch run.
Both players were held out more for precautionary reasons and seem a safe bet to at least be available for Saturday’s game against Chivas USA (4 pm ET, MLS Live).
Alonso (above, right) needed six stitches following last Sunday’s game against FC Dallas after he clashed heads with Julian de Guzman, which opened a gash in Alonso’s head and ultimately forced him out of the game.
“I told him he was going to do everything until the 11-v-11,” head coach Sigi Schmid said of Alonso. “He wanted to play and I said, ‘No, it’s not a choice.’ He’s been cleared and everything. I expect Ozzie to be ready on Saturday.”
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In the case of Rosales (quadriceps), it seems more a matter of not wanting to repeat mistakes of the past.
“We just want to be careful right now,” Schmid said. “He was pretty crushed after the weekend in Dallas and feels a little bit of a tinge. Nothing serious or bad in his quad, just being cautious. We have a little bit of time right now and we have a tough stretch and certainly he’s an important player for us.
“In the past, sometimes when he’s had a little thing and we’ve tried to push through it, it’s become a bigger thing.”
The Sounders took a similar approach with Eddie Johnson, who did not join the team on their recently concluded road trip, but has fully participated in practices this week.
"When you look at it, he hasn’t really played a full season in a long time,” Schmid said. “We felt that there was a little bit of an adductor strain that wasn’t all that serious, but we figured now was a good time to sort of rest him, let him regenerate.
“It’s more for the fact that this is his first full season back, and I think he’s going to be a vital, critical piece for us as we go into the playoffs, and as we go into the final stretch. So we figured now is a good time."
Other injured players who have been practicing this week include Andy Rose (fractured ribs) and David Estrada (broken foot). Rose was listed as “probable” and Estrada was “out” on the latest injury report.
Jeremiah Oshan covers the Seattle Sounders for MLSsoccer.com and SB Nation.
