Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
Though they weren’t called into the U.S. Men’s National Team for the two upcoming World Cup qualifiers in the next week, USMNT fans can take solace that both Clint Dempsey and John Brooks are nearing a return to action.
Dempsey, who missed his third consecutive match last Saturday in the Seattle Sounders’ 5-1 pummeling at the hands of the Colorado Rapids, is continuing to improve his fitness in training and according to Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid he’ll be in the game day squad when the Sounders face the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile in Berlin, Brooks is recovering from an elbow injury suffered on September 22 and returned to first-team practice on Wednesday, participating in some light running according to his club Hertha Berlin’s website.
“While running I have no problems so far but I’m not sprinting (yet)!” Brooks told Hertha’s website. “It is now important that I have my arm completely healed.”
The 20-year-old centerback will likely be reintroduced to his club side slowly but in the meantime, he said he will keep an eye on the USA’s results in their qualifiers, though he’s not sure if he can stay up late enough to watch the games live.
“I don’t know if I can stay awake so late,” Brooks said, “but probably I’ll look at the results the next day.
“I hope that next time (the USMNT plays) I’m there!”
——
What do you think of these developments? Happy to see both Dempsey and Brooks back in training? Do you see them both in the USMNT squad in November? What impact does their absence have on the current USMNT squad?
Share your thoughts below.