Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
Stuart Holden can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
As he nears the end of his rehabilitation from a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury, Holden will take the field on Monday with the Bolton reserves for his first game in more than seven months. Bolton Wanderers head coach Dougie Freeman announced the news on Friday, saying that all Holden needs now is some match fitness.
“Stuart will be involved on Monday,” Freeman told Bolton’s website. “In training I’m seeing a player who is ready to go, but right now he needs game time. There’s a slight change in his running movements and he’s looking fit and well and it is great to have him back amongst the group.
“It’ll be a good game for him with it being at the Reebok, on a good playing surface.”
Holden’s last competitive match came on July 28 with the U.S. Men’s National Team in the Gold Cup final against Panama. Just 18 minutes in, Holden limped off and later learned that he tore his ACL, keeping him out for the next seven months.
The 28-year-old midfielder had only recently returned to action after a number of unlucky injuries had kept him off the field more often than not in the last three years. Holden suffered a broken leg in March 2011 and then right on his return, suffered knee cartilage damage in September 2011 that forced him out until January 2013.
Holden joined the USMNT last summer for both their World Cup qualifying camp in June and then the Gold Cup in July as he built up his match fitness, starting four games in the CONCACAF tournament.
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What do you think of this news? Glad to see Holden back on the field? What does this say about his character? What do you think his World Cup chances are?
Share your thoughts below.