If Thursday was any indication, the Houston Dynamo are on track to get some attacking force back when they return to MLS play a week from Saturday, as both Brad Davis and Omar Cummings took part in training.
Both players missed the week’s first two sessions – with Davis having been out since suffering a hamstring injury June 25 – but were on the field to get work in Thursday. If all goes well after a weekend off, the pair are hoping that next week will mark their full return and a possible appearance against the Chicago Fire on July 27.
For Davis, the hamstring injury has meant a three-game absence. The Dynamo maestro has spent his time since the training ground injury in the physio room trying to make sure he is 100 percent recovered from an injury that can be tricky to manage.
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Returning to the field Thursday, Davis is hoping that he’s seen his last time off of the year.
“Thank God time is on our side and we don’t have a game this weekend,” he told MLSsoccer.com on Thursday. “I’m right there. Hopefully, we get through tomorrow with no setbacks … and the plan is to be back and ready to go on Monday.”
But there is a silver lining. The injury has forced him to give his body some much-needed rest after a year complete with MLS and international duty.
Still, he’d rather be on the pitch with his teammates.
“You always have that itch,” Davis said. “We’ve got two wins in a row now and confidence is good. Hopefully, we can continue to push and keep this run going. Hopefully, this is the moment in the season we can make a run.”
While Davis is getting rest, Cummings has been forced to have more than he’d like. Since coming to Houston in a December trade from the Colorado Rapids, the Jamaican international has made just six appearances, with one start against the Union.
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That one start made his recent injury hurt worse. A week after featuring for the first time, and a day before he was slated to make his second start, Cummings injured his right groin in training before the win over the Revolution. It was another blow in a season full of them.
“It’s one of those things that you’re like ‘I can’t get a break,” Cummings said. “Getting the win helped. We got the win and then it was like everything was OK. I felt great, but personally, it was disappointing to not be on the pitch.”
If both players stay on track, next Wednesday’s friendly with Stoke City in the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup could be a chance to stretch their legs before the weekend’s MLS action. Considering their injuries and importance, it would not surprise, however, if both are saved for the games that count in the standings.
“I’d love to get that opportunity [to play Stoke],” Cummings said. “Those games are funny. It’s not like it’s an MLS or CONCACAF game. It’s a friendly, so you want to be competitive but you want to be careful at the same time.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
