photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said earlier this week that he was confident that Omar Gonzalez’s knee injury was one that would keep the centerback out for only a short period of time.
Now, we know just how long it will be.
Arena told reporters Thursday that he expects Gonzalez to miss 1-2 weeks with the left knee injury sustained in the first half of the Galaxy’s 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids this past weekend. That timetable knocks the 25-year-old Gonzalez out of LA’s upcoming game at the Portland Timbers, and leaves him as a question mark for the start of the U.S. Men’s National Team’s pre-World Cup camp in Stanford, California, next week.
Still, Arena believes that Gonzalez will be included in Jurgen Klinsmann’s provisional 30-man U.S. roster.
“Omar is making progress, just a little tweak on his knee,” said Arena. “[He’ll miss] anywhere from a week or two weeks, but I do expect him to go off next week.”
Gonzalez is currently in the midst of trying to lock down a spot on the U.S. team that heads to the World Cup this summer. He has been a regular in Klinsmann’s lineup for much of the past year but has had some unconvincing performances in recent months, leaving some to question if he will start in Brazil.
The veteran defender sustained the injury this past Saturday in Colorado and was forced to come off at halftime. Kofi Opare replaced Gonzalez in the lineup in that match and is expected to do the same vs. the Timbers.
—–
What do you make of this development? How should Klinsmann handle this situation with camp just about to start? Think this injury could wind up costing Gonzalez a place on the U.S.’s final 23-man roster?
Share your thoughts below.