MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact's first road point in two months came at a price.
Minutes after the team got off the practice field on Tuesday, midfielder Hernán Bernardello – who didn’t take part in the session – tweeted that despite his left ankle injury improving, he would be out of action for “at least three weeks.”
There has been no official word from the club, but a spokesperson told MLSsoccer.com late on Tuesday afternoon that more details would be available on Wednesday.
Bernardello picked up the injury in the 72nd minute of Montreal’s 0-0 draw at the Philadelphia Union this past Saturday. As he tried to dispossess Danny Cruz roughly 25 yards away from the Impact goal, Cruz stepped on Bernardello’s ankle. The Argentinean tried to run the knock off, but eventually asked for a substitution five minutes from full time.
Assistant coach Mauro Biello spoke to the media before Bernardello posted his latest tweet. He said that the swelling had reduced significantly and that the staff was hopeful that there was no fracture, only an ankle sprain.
“We’ll see after the MRI,” Biello said. “It wasn’t pretty on the picture, but we’re hopeful.”
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Should Bernardello be indeed unavailable until the last days of September, he could miss anywhere from four to six games, including the Impact’s last two CONCACAF Champions League Group 5 fixtures, away at the San Jose Earthquakes and at home against CD Heredia.
“He brings a lot to the team,” midfield partner Patrice Bernier said. “I don’t know the latest on his injury, but it's been going well. His play has stabilized our way of playing, of setting the tempo. The past two months, we were following the other team’s tempo too much, and it’s not our strength.”
