TORONTO – While Toronto FC are getting some contibutors back in training during a busy week, the timing of another player going down is not welcome news.
In the midst of the third wave of injuries this season, new TFC head coach Greg Vanney is facing yet another key loss in the form of Jonathan Osorio. The Canadian international underwent scans on Friday for a hamstring issue he picked up against the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday and Vanney says he’ll most likely miss Saturday’s rematch at BMO Field (2 pm ET, UDN in US/TSN2 in Canada).
“In terms of injuries, it’s an interesting league,” Vanney told reporters at training Friday. “There’s a lot of travel and you have to be really fit and very strong to get through this league, especially through the summer months. We’ve had some guys who are breaking down. The bad news is we have guys out but the good news is we have guys on the mend and coming back.”
He’s due for that good news, too; Vanney welcomed the return of Steven Caldwell (quad strain), Warren Creavalle (hamstring) and Justin Morrow (hamstring) to training, as his depleted back line grows healthier by the day. Morrow is still questionable while Caldwell will most likely miss this weekend’s match, but Creavalle is available, as is Bradley Orr, Jackson and striker Gilberto.
Vanney isn’t exactly sure why his side has had so many injuries simultaneously. But he sees areas where his team can improve on overall fitness.
“They need to continue to stay diligent over the course of the year on all the little details that we need to stay healthy," Vanney said. “I don’t have all the answers now but the key is getting them healthy and then we’ll re-assess as soon as we can to make sure we don’t get ourselves into these types of situations again in the future.”
Toronto FC also recalled Kyle Bekker and Dwayne De Rosario from the Canadian men’s national team camp, and sent suspended defender Ashtone Morgan, who picked up a red card on Wednesday, the other way.
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He’ll need all the reinforcements he can get his hands on as Toronto FC host the Philadelphia Union at home after dropping the away encounter at PPL Park 1-0 on Wednesday.
Vanney heads into this next match confident in his team’s ability and happy with what he’s seen so far.
“Right now, we have nine games,” Vanney said. “We are in a position where we can still make the playoffs. We have everything to play for. The enthusiasm is there, the excitement is there in training. For me, there’s no reinventing the wheel right now; it’s working with what we have and what we’re good at and continue pushing forwards towards the playoffs.”
