BEAVERTON, Ore.—With only days to go before their season-defining match against the Vancouver Whitecaps (Sunday, 4 pm ET, MLS LIVE | TSN in Canada), the Portland Timbers find themselves with big questions about their lineup.
The Timbers will be without two key defensive pieces after Diego Chara and Liam Ridgewell picked up suspensions for yellow card accumulation in last weekend’s 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids, while the attack could be without Designated PlayerDiego Valeri due to a hamstring injury.
All three players are central to the Timbers’ playoff ambitions, and losing them for this match creates a challenging hurdle. However, there remains hope that Valeri, who has notched 13 goals and 7 assists on the season, could make his return in time for Sunday’s match in Vancouver.
At the Timbers’ training session on Friday, head coach Caleb Porter was uncertain about Valeri’s status for the weekend, mentioning that both Valeri and Jack Jewsbury, who has been battling a hip flexor issue, did not practice.
“There is still a lot up in the air,” Porter said. “Neither one of them trained today, but they did do some stuff on the pitch. We will know tomorrow if they will be available. They did make some progress.”
Jewsbury was certain of his readiness for Sunday.
“I’ll be out there,” he said. “Obviously, this match is a big one and one you want to be a part of it. I’ll be fine. One way or another, I will be out there.”
Injuries, call-ups, and suspensions have made inconsistencies in the side’s starting XI a regular feature of the 2016 season. Now, with a playoff berth on the table, the Timbers are looking to their depth to get the job done.
Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson knows better than anyone how changes along his back line can affect the team.
“We’ve been dealing with absences all year,” said Gleeson. “It’s not ideal; they are two big players and massive keys to our team, but we have such a deep team and such a good squad that we have guys who can come in and do the job. It is just about getting them in, getting them confident, and going out there and doing the job.”
“This is why we play,” he continued. “This is why we train, and this is why we spend all that time practicing and trying to perfect things. When that whistle blows and you have to go out there, you have to step up and do the job. It is our turn to step up and take over.”
