By DAN KARELL
Jonathan Spector’s hope for a return to full fitness has been put on hold for at least two more months.
The Birmingham City defender suffered a setback in training this week as he was rehabbing his oft-injured thigh and is likely to be out until late January, according to a report in the Birmingham Mail. It’s the same thigh that Spector tore in May 2012 and has been struggling to recover from the injury ever since. Birmingham City head coach Lee Clark said that Spector will see a specialist to have a better idea of how to treat the injury.
“Jonathan has had a bit of a setback, he will be out for the foreseeable future,’’ Clark told the Birmingham Mail. “We will not be having him back until well into 2014. It’s a problem he had before I came, in the play-offs. He took a little bit of gamble to be ready in the semi-final against Blackpool and obviously when I took over the job he was still doing his rehabilitation from it.
“It’s a recurrence, so we have got to be extremely careful. “We are taking specialist advice on it to see where we go. But certainly, the latter part of January is the best we can hope for.”
Spector, who had spent all summer working on his rehabilitation and fitness, started ten times for Birmingham City at right back prior to aggravating the thigh injury in October. At that time, Clark hoped that the 27-year-old would be able to return to full fitness by this week, but after Spector’s re-introduction into full training, he suffered a setback.
The injury news is also a major blow to Spector’s hopes with the U.S. Men’s National Team looking forward to next summer. With his versatility across the back line and experience at the international level (34 caps and a member of the 2010 World Cup squad), Spector could have pushed himself into the conversation for who would make the final 23-player cut. However, since suffering the original thigh injury in May 2012, Spector hasn’t made an appearance for the USMNT.
The Chicago, Illinois native last represented the U.S. as a second half substitute in their 1-0 victory at Italy on February 29, 2012.
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What do you think of this news? Disappointed to hear about the injury? Think Spector lost his chance to challenge for the USMNT right back spot?
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