The last time Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty had a torn quad he rushed himself back too quickly, turning a two-week hiccup into an eight-week injury. He doesn’t plan on making the same mistake again, holding out hope to play in vs. Montreal a week from today, but admitting the May 11 game at New England is more likely.
“I’ve had this injury before. I tore my quad when I was in Dallas, and I tried to play through it and I put myself out for eight weeks,’’ said McCarty, a virtual ironman who logged a team-high 2,918 minutes last season and had gone the full 90 in all nine of his games played this year. “That was a torn quad, and that was because I wasn’t smart about the initial injury. I tried to play through it.
“This one the trainers did a great job of diagnosing it and getting me a scan. I was frustrated at first, but at the same time I’ve been through something like this and I don’t want to rush it, because if I rush it and I come back a day early and I put myself out for eight weeks, then I’m going to be real pissed. It’s better to be two or three weeks rather than eight or nine.’’
Clearly. Ironically, when McCarty cost himself two months with that prior injury, young midfielder Eric Alexander stepped into the FC Dallas lineup and played well. Alexander is again his backup, and started in central midfield alongside Tim Cahill when he missed last weekend’s 2-1 win at Toronto FC, and could start again with McCarty out this coming weekend at Columbus.
Now the question exactly how long will McCarty – who played the second-most minutes of any midfielder in MLS last year – be sidelined with his mildly torn right quad? Listening to coach Mike Petke, at least until after the midweek game against the Impact.
“I’m not counting on him for Montreal. It’d be a huge plus and a bonus if we had him, but I’m not counting on him that quick, to be honest with you. I think it’d be stupid – unless I’m told by the doctors “No, he’s absolutely fine” – to bring him back that quick,’’ said Petke.
“He just had a slight tear, and I was told two to 2 ½ weeks, and I believe that’s around the Montreal game, so he still needs to get back in a little bit of fitness and get back with the team. I don’t project it.”
Truthfully, neither does McCarty.
“It’s getting there. I’m trying to be back for the games next week, but if it’s not feeling right, not feeling 100%, them I’m going to wait. I’m going to make sure,’’ said McCarty. “I’m shooting for Montreal, but I think that might be a bit soon, especially if I can’t strike a ball.
“Striking a ball is the main thing that bothers me. Running is fine, but striking a ball is very nerve-wracking and it’s not right yet…(so) New England I’m going to try to play.’’
McCarty actually suffered the injury during the last meeting with New England.
“It didn’t happen in training; it happened in the end of the New England game,’’ McCarty said. “I hit a longball and I felt it go. I didn’t know how bad it was, didn’t know the extent of it. I tried to train on Wednesday and I felt it. It looked like I got hurt in training when it got too painful and I had to stop.’’
Petke raised the valid concern of having McCarty return at Gillette Stadium on artificial turf – Field Turf Duraspine, to be specific.
“It could be reasonable. But then again, I have to talk to the medical staff to see if turf has any impact on the injury he has,” Petke said. “I know it’s a muscle injury, and I think that’s more of a possibility.”