FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The CenturyLink Field turf got the best of Teal Bunbury in the first week of the MLS season, dealing the New England forward a right shoulder sprain after he landed awkwardly on the surface during the Revolution’s opening weekend loss at Seattle.
The resulting injury has kept Bunbury sidelined for the club’s last three matches. But after resuming activities with the first team last week, he was upgraded on the injury report from "out" to "questionable."
As the Revs ready for aSaturdayaway date with Colorado (7 pm ET; MLS LIVE), it’s now looking as if another upgrade may be coming in for Bunbury.
“I think last week he was really close,” New England coach Jay Heaps said. “We wanted to give him one more week. I always say when players are week-to-week we don’t talk about them, but when they’re day-to-day we really start incorporating a little more. Teal’s in that day-to-day. He’s doing more and more each day, and we expect him to be available for Saturday.”
Bunbury is still dealing with pain in his shoulder, but it’s subsiding with each passing day and training session.
The 25-year-old has been cautious with his rehabilitation, working with the Revolution training staff on how to manage the pain and when might be the best time to try and test it against some actual, physical competition.
“It’s great being back out there.” Bunbury told MLSsoccer.com. “I feel like the training staff has taken great care of me, keeping me on schedule, if not maybe a little bit ahead of what the doctors say how long it usually takes. Now it’s just about feeling comfortable in challenges and 50-50 balls. That’s the next step, being able to use that shoulder. Obviously, there’s going to be some pain with contact, but it’s something that I’ll have to deal with.”
Bunbury, who appeared in 31 games for the Revolution last year, signed a multi-year deal in the offseason to remain with the club.
Prior to joining New England, he suffered a torn ACL that kept him out Sporting Kansas City’s lineup for a 20-game stretch between the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Bunbury is otherwise a highly durable player with a mindset that if he’s physically able to be on the field helping his club, he will be.
“That’s what I’m putting in my mind,” Bunbury said about possibly returning to the lineup on Saturday. “What player really isn’t ever playing with a little bit of discomfort, or a little bit of pain? I’m going to see how this week of training goes, and if I’m feeling good and Jay wants to put me in the squad, then most definitely I’ll be out there giving it my all."
