RENTON — It’s been rare for the Seattle Sounders to play multiple weeks without injuries to key players this season and that won’t be changing anytime soon. The latest player to join the list of injured starters is Yeimar Gomez Andrade, who came out of Saturday’s 1-0 win over FC Dallas with a right hamstring injury.
Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said Yeimar is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. That will keep him out for at least the three upcoming games against the current Top 3 teams in the Western Conference and could potentially cause him to miss part or all of the Club World Cup.
“It’s hard to say because Yeimar is determined and he actually does come back from injury fairly quickly,” Schmetzer said following Tuesday’s training session. “But they’re being a little more cautious because he did pull it. There is damage. I know he wants to get ready to come back for the Club World Cup — I get it — but I’m not going to sacrifice a game or two for the better health of the remainder of the year. It will be tricky.”
Jon Bell replaced Yeimar against Dallas and appears to be in line to start against San Diego FC.
Jackson Ragen update
Yeimar’s injury comes just as Jackson Ragen is nearing a full return. Schmetzer said Ragen will be available off the bench on Wednesday, after having missed the previous seven matches with a hamstring injury.
“I could put him in any time,” Schmetzer said.
Jordan Morris could return soon, too
Somewhat more surprisingly, Schmetzer revealed that Jordan Morris is a bit closer to returning than had been originally predicted.
“Jordan’s timeline is he might make Vancouver,” Schmetzer said, alluding to the Sounders’ match against the Whitecaps on June 8.
Morris has been out since suffering a hamstring injury on April 26 against the Colorado Rapids, missing the Sounders’ last four matches. It was a re-aggravation of the same injury that kept him out for about five weeks earlier this season and there was some concern that this could lead to a lengthier recovery.
Danny Musovski update
There was no formal update on Danny Musovski, who missed the FC Dallas match, but he was a full participant in training and is seemingly on pace to at least be available against San Diego.
