U.S. men's national team midfielder Stuart Holden has been sidelined since suffering a major injury with Bolton back in March, but he's on te verge of returning to action after five months on the shelf.
Holden will take part in Bolton's reserve match against Fulham on Tuesday, with an eye toward a potential Premier League return on Sept. 10th against Manchester United, the same club he faced when he was injured in March.
One of the most impressive midfielders in the Premier League before being injured, Holden will look to regain his place in Bolton's midfield, which will mean a major step toward a potential return to the U.S. national team.
Holden has been training with the Bolton first team for the past week, more than a month ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation from the hairline condyle fracture he suffered on an ugly tackle from Manchester United defender Johnny Evans. The injury required Holden to have pins inserted in his knee to help speed up the healing process, a process that was expected to take six months or more. Holden's recovery is ahead of schedule and he will now return to action on Tuesday.
What do you think of this development? Excited to see him make it back? Think he can help Bolton turn things around? Anxious to see him back in the national team mix?
Share your thoughts below.
I just want to see Holden enjoy a few years of uninjured success. He’s just coming into his prime, and if the ‘law of averages’ has any merit, he’s had more than his fair share of severe injuries. Best wishes Stu — tear it up for Bolton and the USMNT.
I’m a bit worried about this….
Bolton have a TON of injury problems right now, and Holden is coming back a month earlier than expected?
I really hope it’s because Stu had a miraculous recovery and not because Bolton are rushing him back before he is fully ready.
Whats everyone’s opinion on Stu’s ability to handle the set pieces? I saw him play in the Poland friendly and was impressed with his service.Landon’s seem to leave something to be desired lately…
Indeed. Saying Manchester United is “the same club he faced when he was injured in March” is like saying “Booth is the same guy who was shooting a gun when Lincoln was killed.”
Great to have Stu back as he is exactly the two-way midfielder we really need. Of course, we can stick with the 4-2-3-1, but I’m not sure that’s the right move. It is the “in” formation, but Altidore plays better with a second striker and Donovan is now apparently a forward. Thus, a midfield of Deuce, Holden, Bradley (or preferred CDM if he continues to not have a team), and Shea would be really nice. Then with a backline of Cherundolo, Boca, Goodson, and Chandler we would actually be a team on the rise again. Leggo America.
I believe he is doing so, but preventing Deuce from contracting knee-aids.
Stu’s a talent, has been recognized for it for some time. want him to FULLY recover and not rush back.
on where to play him, it doesn’t matter as much as his addition gives us another player with two way skills that makes us that much more available to interchange and get into pockets and make runs forward with confidence your teammates can get your back while you hustle your butt back into position
he’s definitely that kind of player, whether he starts out wide, up higher or further back. VERY versatile player…I still think he’d make an awesome right or left back if someone asked him to do it.
here here man, cheers
I find this information very useful and it has considerably saved my time.thanks.
Correct me if I’m wrong.. but it’s amazing that due to timing and injury we have not yet seen Holden play centrally for the USMNT.
Shouldn’t you be focusing your efforts on your campaign to make sure people stop reading on Duece?
Don’t forget that in addition to tackles won, I believe he was also near the top of percentage of passes completed last year. He’s a definite playmaker and if we even flirt with the 4-2-3-1 again, he’s a perfect player for the middle of the 3 to anchor the attack without having to be a goalscorer himself. That allows us to have two more defensive minded mids on the field behind him to guard the back 4 and connect them to the attack. Stu is much better in the middle than he is on either wing.
[Stuart Holden? :/] > T’s Mom
Well, “cure” is a bit of an overstatement…and only that if you have huge piles of money laying around
Really excited for him. No more thug attacks on Holden please 😀
Condyle – but thanks for the update.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knee
Who is Stuart Holden? :/
Hell yea AIDS jokes are funny because of two reasons
1) South Park told us it was
2) They can cure AIDS now
I think getting knee-AIDS would be pretty serious actually.
Good call recognizing it. I was at a museum yesterday and one of the guides had an Op Ivy sticker on his water bottle, I thought it was wonderfully out of place.
+1 for the Bad Brains handle.
AIDS jokes still aren’t funny.
Sevilla are eyeing Duece apparently
great news!
I don’t want Stu at attacking mid, at Bolton he shows what position he needs to be at. Prior to getting hurt he lead the PL in tackles without yellow cards. He along with Torres or Mix need to be our holding mids and move Donovan or Dempsey inside to the CAM. With Holden and Mix, we will not lose any defensive cover that we had with MB and Jones but they will give us so much more in the attacking third that we have lacked in quite some time. Also moving Dempsey and Donovan in the 10 spot will allow a true winger on the field like Shea or Gatt, as Donovan and Dempsey allows drift inside which kills our width.
Stu Holden, prior to this injury, was the best Player the USA had to offer. Good pace, great vision and knowledge, fantastic skills, and a world class motor and attitude. I hope he is well and his recovery is COMPLETE.
Nuts. So he is a more talented player in a position where we already have suitable players seemingly stockpiled. It’s still improvement, but I was hoping he would fill a gaping hole since we can never find a international-quality LB or attacking mid.
Best news I’ve heard all week. Yay for Stu Holden and yay for Nats fans! All I can say is whatever happens, I hope it happens right. What I mean, if he needs some time
to regain fitness and form, give it to him; don’t rush it. However, if he needs loads of time on the field, to help his body recover, then do that. Just make it right. The USA needs Stu at his finest.
:)!!!!!
If Stu gets back to where he was. I see him starting in the middle with with MB and JJ giving both of them tough competition for a starting spot. Alternatively, If MB or Stu can develop there attacking skills better, then potentially move either of them to attacking CM and then also start JJ. However, I think Clint would be best in that attacking CM role with 2 other CM, or even Adu if he gets better and is consistent.
Attacking mid.. Let’s put it this way.. I’d rather have stu Holden on the field with 10 men than kljestan and Torres with 11. Exaggerating of course but he’s easily in the top 4 on the us squad.
Great to hear he is doing well, I just hope he doesn’t rush himself on the recovery.
Where does he play in midfield? We already have Torres and Kljestan who do OK as deep lying playmakers, Jones and Bradley as holding mids, and Edu as a combination. Does he naturally play as an attacking mid or is he similar to Edu?
Johnny Evans is a hack.
The question has been driving me crazy for months! I can’t even think of a good reason to keep the injury secret, unless he caught knee-AIDS.
booyah!
Anyone???? Cab we get some info on the injury??? Ives?
(SBI-Ask (nicely), and you shall receive. Holden had a hairline fracture of the condial (broken bone near the knee joint) that required pins to be put in and was supposed to take six months or more to heal. He’s back in five.)
In other Scottish-American news… Eddie Johnson is about to sign with Aberdeen… Hope that works out for him.
can’t wait to finally see him in the national team. He was only slightly used by Bob. Obviously that was more due to injuries. Either way when healthy he is one of the top 4 on the team.
Ditto.
anywhere to follow the action? I’m guessing no.
What time is the game?
WELCOME BACK STU!
Good luck Stu! We’ll be rooting for you. I hope you learned that if your going to go in head to head on a slide tackle against someone, that you better be the guy with cleats up and the other guy should be the one injured- not you. Protect yourself always!
Hope he can quickly get back to being the Stu that was dominating the PL.
Break a leg Stuey . . . doh
STUUUUUUUUUUU!
Having seen Bolton against Man City and Liverpool, they definitely need him in their Midfield ASAP.
+1
Woo Hoo!
This is great news. Hopefully both he and the club proceed with caution and allow him to get back into full-on game shape before he gets back in with the first team. It has been so long since Holden has gotten a long look with the national team, really hope he gets his 2010-2011 form back over the next few months and we get to see him in January camp.
Welcome back son!
Did we ever find out exactly what the injury was?