The Houston Dynamo midfield will receive a boost when the Orange host the Chicago Fire Saturday (8 p.m. CT; NBCSN), with Brad Davis primed to make his MLS return.
Davis has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury suffered in training on June 25. Combined with international absences, the injury has relegated the left midfielder to one appearance in six games since June 1.
Speaking after Friday’s training, head coach Dominic Kinnear gave no indication regarding Davis’ role Saturday but the Dynamo boss confirmed he’ll be available for selection.
While the scope of his participation isn’t known, Davis will enter Saturday’s affair with valuable confidence from a successful 24-minute run-out in Wednesday’s BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup friendly against Stoke City.
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“I only had a couple trainings under my belt, but you can never make up a game situation,” Davis said of Wednesday’s appearance. “You have to get out in games and see how you feel. It was a good [24] minutes to get out there and get used to playing with the guys again and get my feet under me. It’s a confidence booster knowing you can get back out there.”
According to goalkeeper Tally Hall, while his teammates have trust in Davis and the staff, it is always reassuring for the team to see a player get through their first action back.
“It’s tough to look at a teammate who's been injured as he’s jumping back in the game, so it’s awesome he was able to get into a game he could run around in and get that comfort back,” Hall said. “It’s obviously good to see him and see he’s fit. It’s good for him because it’s easy to say ‘I’m ready,’ but when the rubber meets the road it’s, ‘Can my body do this, not at 95 percent but at 100 percent?’
“It’s good for him and it’s good for the team.”
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Now he is ready to jump back in the mix with his Dynamo teammates as they look to extend a two-game winning streak against a Fire team buoyed by the acquisition of Mike Magee. With Houston likely to need goals against Magee and the in-form Fire attack, having Davis back and fit is a boost.
However, the inclusion of noted Fire nemesis Omar Cummings is much less certain. Cummings has six career goals in seven games versus the Fire, but is listed as questionable on the injury report with a right adductor strain that has sidelined him since July 12. Kinnear didn’t rule out the Jamaican striker, but noted that his inclusion is up in the air.
“He got through practice today and it’s a point of how he responds,” Kinnear said. “Sometimes he’s not responding in a positive fashion. Hopefully, tomorrow he wakes up and he feels like his body can handle playing, because we’d like to have him out there.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
