Game to game, week to week, the list of available players for the Chicago Fire this season has been in flux.
It seems when one player restores match fitness, another is sidelined with a knock. Fire head coach Frank Yallop on Monday was the first to point to “not getting the job done” as a primary reason for the club's 5-11-3 record to date, but inconsistency in the lineup certainly hasn't helped. So, where do they stand with a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal and home date with New England looming?
For starters, Mike Magee took a knock to the knee during Chicago’s 1-0 midweek loss to Crew SC and, after staying behind on the weekend trip to Columbus, did not train Monday. Yallop hopes the 2013 MLS MVP, recently returned from his lengthy rehab, could return by the weekend.
New acquisition Ty Harden has suffered multiple setbacks in his recovery from a lingering hamstring injury. On Friday, Yallop noted 7-10 days as a possible timetable for his return, leaving him questionable for Saturday’s match against New England.
But aside from that tandem, the news gradually becomes more positive. David Accam made a triumphant return Sunday from his hamstring injury and provided Chicago's lone goal at Columbus. He was subbed out alongside Patrick Nyarko with 20 minutes to go, a move centered on preventing any further injury.
“I felt Patrick and David did very well, considering where they’ve been physically in the last while,” Yallop said Monday via teleconference. “It would’ve been nice to have kept them on the field, but you have to protect players from themselves.”
Another key playmaker, Shaun Maloney, trained fully on Monday. Yallop said he “should be available to be on the bench” Wednesday against Orlando City SC. He last played in Chicago’s 1-0 U.S. Open Cup win over Louisville City FC on June 16 but has not seen league action since May 30, prior to departing for international duty.
The captain isn’t far away either. Jeff Larentowicz, who hasn’t played since June 24 because of a herniated disc in his neck, trained with fitness coach Adrian Lamb on Monday. A Saturday return appears to be possible, if not likely.
"He could be OK for the weekend,” Yallop said. “He’s not going to be fit, because he’s not done anything for three weeks or four weeks. He’s been sitting in his living room watching TV, I think, because he had to keep it pretty steady and stable and not do anything on the disc. It doesn’t help fitness, but Jeff’s a fit kid that wants to play, and I’m sure he’ll be pushing to be available – if not this Saturday, for sure the following [Sunday] he’ll be available for.”
As for absences not related to injury, Joevin Jones returns to Chicago on Monday after Trinidad and Tobago’s penalty shootout loss to Panama in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals. And Lovel Palmer, who was excluded from Sunday’s 18-man roster, is simply regaining his fitness.
“I had a good chat with Lovel, and we both agreed that he should just get the fitness levels up,” Yallop said. “He’s been working very hard at that in the last couple days. He should be ready and good to go in the next little bit.”
With opportunities to shore up depth and performance, Yallop continues to be in talks with potential transfer window additions. He did not acknowledge names but stated that the two priorities are center forward and center back.
As much as he'd like to expedite that process, Yallop understands the difficulty of putting deadlines on players, as it could make them feel pressured and uncomfortable. But on the other hand, he's looking to avoid a situation in which a courtship drags on too long, whether or not it comes to fruition. The transfer window closes August 8, but Yallop would like to have moves made before then, if possible.
“We want to get a decision,” he said. “As I sit here now, one of those players that we’re interested in could sign somewhere else, because time’s ticking, right? That’s always the hard part.”
—Luke Srodulski
