© Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
SEATTLE, Wash. — Osvaldo Alonso won’t be ready for this week’s games, but he may not be all that far away from making his return. Talking to the press during Seattle Sounders media day on Wednesday, Alonso said he’s feeling better and thinks he might be back in about a month.
“Yes, I think by late March I could be ready and with the team,” Alonso said in Spanish. “That is the goal we are trying for and get back to the field healthy to give my best.”
Alonso has only made one appearance since coming off just before halftime on Sept. 27, 2017, and has been unable to fully train during the entire preseason. In total, Alonso was only able to play in 27 of 39 matches last year, including the playoffs. The injury was originally believed to be a quadriceps strain, but a visit to a specialist in Los Angeles revealed that it may actually be a tendon that is causing the injury. After the new diagnosis, the treatment plan apparently changed.
The Sounders have been able to compensate for Alonso’s injury reasonably well — going 10-3-3 in matches where he played less than a half last year — but were clearly missing his bite in the MLS Cup final.
With that in mind, the Sounders seem content to bring Alonso along slowly and will likely attempt to manage his minutes throughout the year.
“That’s the coach’s job,” Alonso said. “We know it’s difficult after such a long time to get back to 100 percent on the field, but we have a medical team that will be working little by little so I can get back on the field, and they will know how to mange me to be well for the season.”