Henry missed RBNY’s 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew.
New York Red Bulls could have two designated players back in contention for their home game against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, according to MLSsoccer. Henry missed Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Columbus Crew due to an inflamed Achilles, and Tim Cahill has been out of contention since suffering a torn PCL in a tackle with Yordany Alvarez in the Bull’s match against Real Salt Lake at the end of July.
“I fully expect Thierry to be available this weekend, 100 percent,” said Red Bulls coach Mike Petke. “It was something that I was aware of all (last) week. I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen and then on Thursday, we made a precautionary decision. It was acting up and we went with it.”
“Cahill practiced fully today, 100 percent, no limitations,” added Petke. “That’s a phenomenal sign, obviously. Judging by today’s performance. I’d expect a very good possibility that he’ll be available but we still have three practice sessions to go.”
Despite Cahill’s injury being the more severe of the two, Petke said that Henry’s is one that will always linger.
Still, Petke insisted he was not losing too much sleep over Henry’s recurring Achilles issues.
“It’s been lingering for years but I’m not overly concerned because the one thing I learned from Thierry is he’s finally at a place in his playing career where he wasn’t in the last couple years,” he said. “He would throw caution to the wind (in the past) and not worry about the next day just to get on the field and that’s when he gets the problems. That’s how I was as a player and that’s, in my mind, why I wasn’t able to play a bit longer.
“I’m not concerned. I think (resting him) was the right thing to do and that enables him to, what I consider, be 100 percent available for this weekend, a big game at home against Philly.”
Petke also reported that he would give an update on the fitness of Lloyd Sam on Thursday, who suffered a knock to his left quadriceps in his man of the match performance against Sporting Kansas City on August 3rd, which New York won 3-2.
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