Alejandro Bedoya stepped back on the training field this week, and could at long last make his return to the field on Saturday.
After dealing with an unspecified illness that sidelined him several weeks, Bedoya is hoping to get back into Ligue 1 action this weekend. Nantes visits struggling Montpellier in search of a win, as three more points would likely move the club closer to landing a place in Europe.
Only three points separate the seventh-placed Canaries from two teams holding UEFA Champions League spots and one club in a Europa League position, and Bedoya will be especially keen on helping Nantes’ cause after being out of commission since the U.S. Men’s National Team’s camp in early October.
Fellow midfielder Fabian Johnson is more certain to see some minutes when Borussia Moenchengladbach welcomes Alfredo Morales and FC Ingolstadt to town. The Saturday match marks Moenchengladbach’s third in eight games, but it also could catapult the club into one of the Bundesliga’s guaranteed Champions League spots at the top of the table. Johnson has enjoyed a good few days, with an assist in last weekend’s rout of Hertha Berlin and goal in Champions League play on Tuesday. He will surely be aiming to add those string of performances with another good shift.
Miguel Ibarra is another player who is going to try and build on his recent success. Ibarra scored his first Liga MX goal last weekend in his first start in league play, and that showing may be enough to warrant him getting the nod again when Club Leon travels to play Pachuca on Saturday. Ibarra and Leon are going to need to quickly get over their midweek Copa MX final defeat and focus solely on this matchup in order to try and close the four-point gap between them and league leader Pumas UNAM.
Here is who the Americans Abroad square off with this weekend:
FRIDAY
Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest play Derby County.
John Brooks and Hertha Berlin play Hannover 96.
Joe Corona and Veracruz play Jose Torres and Tigres UANL.
Shawn Barry and FSV Frankfurt play Andrew Wooten and SV Sandhausen.
SATURDAY
DeAndre Yedlin, Lynden Gooch and Sunderland play Southampton.
Tim Howard and Everton play West Ham United.
Geoff Cameron and Stoke City play Chelsea.
Cody Cropper and Milton Keynes Dons play Brighton & Hove Albion.
Danny Williams, Andrija Novakovich and Reading play Cardiff City.
Tim Ream, Emerson Hyndman and Fulham play Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City.
Gedion Zelalem and Rangers play Alloa Athletic.
Fabian Johnson and Borussia Moenchengladbach play Alfredo Morales and FC Ingolstadt 04.
Timmy Chandler and Eintracht Frankfurt play TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Bobby Wood and FC Union Berlin play FC Nurnberg.
Caleb Stanko and SC Freiburg play MSV Duisburg.
Alejandro Bedoya and FC Nantes play Montpellier.
Edgar Castillo and Monterrey play Ventura Alvarado and Club America.
Miguel Ibarra, William Yarbrough and Club Leon play Pachuca.
Greg Garza and Atlas play Gabriel Farfan and Jaguares de Chiapas. (Garza is out injured.)
SUNDAY
Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play Manchester City.
Aron Johannsson and Werder Bremen play FC Augsburg. (Johannsson is out injured.)
Terrence Boyd and RB Leipzig play Kaiserslautern. (Boyd is out injured.)
Rubio Rubin and FC Utrecht play PSV Eindhoven. (Rubin is out injured.)
Desevio Payne and FC Groningen play Cambuur Leeuwarden.
Zarek Valentin, Danny Cruz and FK Bodo/Glimt play Cole Grossman and Stabaek IF.
Ethan Horvath and Molde FK play IK Start.
A.J. Soares and Viking FK play Rhett Bernstein, Erik Hurtado and Mjondalen IF.
Jonathan Bornstein and Queretaro play Pumas UNAM.
Michael Orozco, Paul Arriola, Alejandro Guido and Club Tijuana play Puebla.
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Which of these matches are you most looking forward to? Think Bedoya gets back on the field in some capacity? See Johnson continuing his good run of form for Moenchengladbach?
Share your thoughts below.