Injury Report: How FC Dallas is looking going into the first playoff game at Seattle
Injury Report: How FC Dallas is looking going into the first playoff game at Seattle
After a season of injuries for Nico Estevez, his roster is looking fairly healthy as the playoffs begin next week.
FC Dallas has had a tough year in 2023 when it comes to do with injuries. For part of the season, head coach Nico Estevez had to deal with up to eight or nine starters out of the lineup at a given time.
Fast forward to the end of October and the start of the MLS Cup Playoffs for his club, Estevez is really only dealing with a couple of players that have knocks ahead of their game one match with the Seattle Sounders next Monday.
Following the Decision Day win over the LA Galaxy, the big question was about Bernard Kamungo and his status. Kamungo scored his first brace with the club before exiting the game early in the first half with an injury. Estevez remarked on Thursday during his weekly media call that the 21-year-old is progressing nicely, but it will come down to how he responds to training over the weekend when the team is in Seattle.
“Bernard doing well like he's training with a trainer,” said Estevez. “He's increasing the load every day, and the feedback and the responses have been very well. We'll need to know on Saturday and Sunday how he feels to be able to play against Seattle.”
Veteran midfielder Sebastian Lletget has missed the last several weeks of the season, with his last appearance coming off the bench at the beginning of September in FC Dallas’ home draw with Atlanta. Estevez said that Lletget is getting closer to a full return with the playoffs set to begin.
“Sebastian is going in the right way. He has been participating in a limited part of the training to see how he's evolving, but he's doing very well,” explained Estevez. “I think he will finalize this week’s training with a full group. Right now, he's training with the group and doing some parts with the team and some parts by himself, but I think for Saturday and Sunday, he will train both trainings with the group, and then we'll decide if we have to take a risk or he will need one more week to get ready. But between this game and the game at home, if everything goes the way that is going, he will, he will be ready to go.”
FC Dallas is expected to depart for Seattle on Saturday and will train on Sunday morning in Seattle ahead of Monday’s first game.