By AVI CREDITOR
United States midfielder Maurice Edu escaped serious damage to his knee, but he'll still be spending a couple of weeks on the sideline, according to his team's manager.
Walter Smith said on Rangers' team Web site that he will hold Edu out "for a few games" to let his left knee fully heal before he returns to action. An MRI revealed no major damage, but Smith said that his starting midfielder is still experiencing some soreness and will be held out until he's completely fit. Edu, who suffered the injury in a surprise loss to Hibernian last week, was forced to miss seven months of action after undergoing surgery on that same knee last season.
Should Rangers' timeline for Edu hold, he will miss his team's key UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United on Nov. 24.
Here are a few more stories from around the soccer world:
ROONEY NEARS RETURN
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney could return to action as soon as this weekend after completing his rehabilitation and conditioning stint in Portland, Ore., and returning to England.
Rooney has missed United's last five matches and hasn't played since a 20-minute appearance as a substitute against West Brom on Oct. 16.
Manchester United hosts Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
D.C. TERMINATES ALLSOPP'S CONTRACT
Danny Allsopp's tenure with D.C. United is over after the two parted ways on Monday. Allsopp scored five goals in his lone Major League Soccer season with United, and he tallied a hat trick in the team's victory over Portsmouth in a friendly over the summer.
Allsopp and midfielder Cristian Castillo were both brought in during the preseason to bolster D.C.'s attack. Castillo was cut during the season.
PACHUCA DRAWS MONTERREY
Pachuca and Americans Jose Francisco Torres, Herculez Gomez and Marco Vidal begin their quest to capture the Mexican Apertura Liguilla on Thursday with the first leg of their two-legged tie with second-seeded Monterrey.
Should Los Tuzos get by Humberto Suazo's Monterrey, they'd likely have a semifinal date with top-seeded Cruz Azul, which faces Pumas in the quarterfinals.
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Happy with how Rangers is dealing with Edu's injury? Can you see Rooney returning to form now that he's fit? Disappointed with how Allsopp's season turned out for D.C.? Do you think Pachuca can get by Monterrey in the Liguilla quarterfinals?
Share your thoughts below.
say*
F*CK Allssop, that Aussie trash. He had the audacity to saw the A-League is better then MLS.
Melbourne Victory won’t have you and neither with the Aussie National team!
Well now that I think about it, Nike headquarters IS located in Beaverton…
Politics
Yeah, I’ll watch the game (if I can) but it won’t be one that I’m all antsy about. Colorado v FC Dallas just isn’t a very intriguing matchup. I see Dallas lifting the Cup this year. I’m not one that has to have LA v New York but at least some exciting teams with fanbases that are worthy of a championship team would be nice. Dallas is undeserving in every way except on the field product and I say Colorado is undeserving in even that category.
Your loss. Your ilk is bad for MLS.
Why would Edu leave? He’s a mainstay for their starting lineup, which increases the likelihood of him getting more play during Champions League, not to mention Rangers are perennially in the top two of the SPL table.
He also scored in the Old Firm, he shouldn’t leave anytime soon.
Finished to me no way I’m watching that game.
Good news for Edu. Sid it before and I will say it again I hope he gets out of the SPL.
With the continued developments of MLS’ Academy system hopefully this becomes commonplace. Even if not all these kids pan out, its essential to have these types of academies for youth development.
It’s a shame, too. DC has a lot of history, but what’s their marketability to foreign players? They play in BY FAR the worst stadium in MLS and the team’s stability is non existent.
Why DC can’t get a SSS deal done really blows my mind, especially with all the gentrification efforts going on. They’ve been the only pro team in DC winning anything in the last 20 years, too.
and because of the discretion of oregonian escorts..
becuase it’s really far away from the brit paparazi
Najar isn’t really a foreign recruit, since he was in the DC youth system.
I doubt DC has brought in 20 foreign players in the2 years since Gallardo left, but you’re correct in noting they are in a huge slump with their foreign recruits.
Here’s some real news: The Revs have signed their first Homegrown Player — a 15-yr. old boy originally from Uruguay: Diego Fagundez.
That’s doubling down on DCU’s 17 yr. old sensation, Andy Najar. I’m guessing he’ll play with the Revs’ reserves for awhile, but it will be interesting to see how long it takes him to get a shot with the senior side. Begin the speculation about which national team he will pick…
to get the hell out of England for a little while. the English media has been ruthless towards him recently, i’d get out of there too
DC United absolutely recruits THE worst foreign players
out of the twenty something they have brought in since Gallardo, the only helpful one has been Najar
pretty sure football would be fine even if he never recovered his form (overrated as it was).
MLS Cup hasn’t even finished man. Calm down, it’ll come.
Nike’s facility is state-of-the-art. Plus, being away from all the distractions he faces in England allows Rooney to focus on his rehab. Not strange. Smart.
What’s the point of going all the way to Oregon for rehab and physical therapy?? Strange.
I’m hoping for a full and speedy recovery for Edu, he’s been in great form lately.
As for Rooney, if he regains his form, United will make a solid run to the top of the table. Not to mention it allows Fergie to play Berba and Rooney together, and use Chicharito as a “super-sub.”
What I want to know is and hear are rumors of mls teams andplayers coming this winter.what’s going to happen to angel and wany new dps.
Good news that Rooney is returning to action. But for the sake of football, let’s hope he returns to form as well.