KANSAS CITY, Mo. – We've heard this one before: Sporting Kansas City's hope that their injury-riddled roster will hit full strength, or something close to it, at a crucial point in the season.
It didn't happen before the start of CONCACAF Champions League play, with absences and a grueling traveling schedule contributing to an 0-1-1 start in the tournament. But with Sporting fighting to stay above the red line in the Western Conference, aiming for a sixth straight postseason appearance, manager Peter Vermes expects to have all but three players available for selection when his club hosts the Houston Dynamo on Friday (8 pm ET, UniMás | MLS LIVE in Canada).
Only forward Justin Mapp (calf) and midfielder/defender Lawrence Olum (abdominal strain) are still out with injury, while left back Jimmy Medranda is suspended after taking two cautions in Sporting's 2-0 loss at Philadelphia on Aug. 27.
Having last weekend off also helped Sporting avoid having to play without center back Matt Besler and winger Graham Zusi, who were on international duty for the latest round of World Cup qualifying.
Still, Sporting aren't all the way back up to speed yet – and might not be for a while.
“The problem is that not everybody's 90 minutes fit,” Vermes told reporters on Thursday, “so the determination is going to be based around that kind of stuff. It's going to be based around whether somebody's fit and how much time they can play in a game.”
With that in mind, Sporting used their free weekend to loan nine players – some in need of minutes, others in need of match time after injury layoffs – to first-year USL side Swope Park Rangers. All nine starting in a 2-0 home loss to Rio Grande Valley FC.
The list included goalkeeper Tim Melia, who has been out since late July with back spasms, and left back Seth Sinovic, who injured his left ankle in Sporting's CCL-opening 2-2 draw at Trinidadian side Central FC last month.
Right back Chance Myers and center back Nuno Coelho, who also have been sidelined by hamstring problems in recent weeks, were not loaned out for Saturday's match but are expected to be available for selection against the Dynamo.
Saturday's result was frustrating, Melia told MLSsoccer.com after the match, but he was glad to be back on the pitch in a competitive situation.
“I feel good physically,” he said. “I think this game was good to shake the rust off, get my feet back wet. I only just started training five, six days ago.”
Being able to get in a match in Kansas City, where Vermes could assess his and others' progress, was another plus for Melia.
“I think these programs are so important for MLS teams,” he said. “I think all MLS teams need to have these USL teams. I was impressed with the quality of play. There are a lot of guys in this team that are going to contribute to the first team.”
