Tim Cahill’s road to recovery from the torn PCL he suffered in his right knee nearly two weeks ago appears to be going as well as anyone could have expected.
Cahill was back on the training field on Friday morning, his third session as he continues to rehabilitate the knock he sustained in the New York Red Bulls’ 4-3 win over Real Salt Lake on July 27. The Australian international was limited to individual work, but afterwards stated that he is feeling good and hopes to return for the Aug. 17 home match against Philadelphia.
“It’s my third day on the pitch session, pushing it quite heavily, and I feel great,” Cahill told reporters hours before the Red Bulls traveled to Columbus without him to take on the Crew on Saturday (7:30 pm ET, watch on MLS Live). “[The] 14th day [since the injury] is Saturday and we’ll do a Saturday-Sunday session and we’ll assess it again Monday.
"But overall, I’m giving myself every possible chance of being as good as possible and ... take the time and make sure the body is all good for hopefully a bit of time against Philly.”
While it may sound like Cahill is ahead of schedule, the original timeframe for recovery for the midfielder was 3-4 weeks. The Union game would fall exactly three weeks after Cahill was injured on a high tackle from Yordany Álvarez, and he is doing everything in his power to try and make it back in time for that Eastern Conference tilt at Red Bull Arena.
“My job is just to put in as many sessions in a day make myself as strong as possible and let [the medical staff] worry about when they’re going to refer me,” said Cahill. “I feel good, I feel great, but I suppose it’s about sticking to the plan and I said its 14 days tomorrow and three pitch sessions. I’ve been in the gym you know three times, two times a day so I feel great. I suppose its wait and see what they say.”
Franco Panizo covers the New York Red Bulls for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by e-mail at Franco8813@gmail.com.
