COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – There’s a sliver of good news amidst the Colorado Rapids’ epic injury crisis.
Rookie sensation Deshorn Brown, who leads Colorado with two goals and 28 shots so far this season, believes he’ll be able to return for the Rapids’ next game against Houston next Sunday (5 pm ET, UniMas).
“I think I’ll be out for a week, and probably against Houston, I’ll be able to play,” Brown told MLSsoccer.com during the Rapids’ 1-0 loss to Seattle on Saturday.
READ: Thigh injury rules Colorado Rapids' Deshorn Brown out of Seattle Sounders match
Brown was a late scratch for the Seattle game after suffering a right quad strain at training on Friday. While trying to complete a pass, he felt a pull in his right leg, and he briefly tried to keep playing on it before realizing that he couldn’t continue. He believes the injury isn’t serious and that he’ll be able to return to the field shortly.
That wasn’t the only good news for the Rapids.
Midfielders Pablo Mastroeni and Martín Rivero played in Colorado's Reserve League match on Saturday night against Harrisburg City, with both players subbing on in the 69th minute. The game marked the first action for Rivero since he broke his foot in late January and the first for Mastroeni since suffering a quad strain against the Galaxy on March 23.
READ: Rapids unable to overcome fresh wave of injury problems: "Seriously, it’s unbelievable"
Meanwhile, Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens told MLSsoccer.com on Saturday that he hopes to resume training within a month. Pickens badly broke his left forearm in a collision with Real Salt Lake’s Kwame Watson-Siriboe on March 16.
Colorado were without Brown, Mastroeni, Rivero, Pickens, striker Edson Buddle, center back Diego Calderón and midfielders Kevin Harbottle and Jaime Castrillón, while also losing center back Marvell Wynne to a quad strain in the second half of Saturday’s loss to Seattle.
Chris Bianchi covers the Colorado Rapids for MLSsoccer.com.
