This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Sandy • Javier Morales has dealt with an extensive list of injuries — both serious and minor — during his 18 years as a professional. But a diagnosed concussion was never included on that list.

Until May 1.

Real Salt Lake's 35-year-old playmaker now in his ninth season with the club fell to the ground at Rio Tinto Stadium two weeks ago in a match against the San Jose Earthquakes. That's where an errant boot by San Jose midfielder Shea Salinas caught Morales on the side of the head. After receiving medical attention for over six minutes, he eventually re-entered the match before soonafter being subbed off.

What has ensued since have been days filled with headaches at home, moving from the bed to the couch and from the couch to the bed. Lingering concussion-related headaches accompanied by nausea from the knock to the head that has sidelined RSL's midfielder for the last three games. But on Wednesday, Morales made his first appearance at America First Field in Sandy since suffering that concussion and worked with head athletic trainer Tyson Pace for over an hour.

He said the concussion, in his eyes, is a worse injury than his horrific ankle fracture and dislocation suffered in May 2011, an injury that sidelined him for five months four years ago.

"Before it happened to me, I couldn't understand how tough it is," Morales said of the concussion after training. "I can feel it — it's really hard — it's something different than any injury, even worse than my ankle. A little bit more scary. That's the problem. My ankle was going to be fixed no problem, but with [this concussion], you never know. It was really tough."

Morales said he feels "much better now" and that the concussion obviously "wasn't fun at all" after doing technical drills and taking slowly-paced laps around RSL's training field in Sandy on Wednesday. To no surprise, he's ruled himself out for this weekend's trek to Montreal — which would be the fifth game missed in 2015 due to various injuries — but said he's aiming to get back to training fully next week ahead of New York City FC's much-anticipated visit on May 23.

"The next step I have to go through full training for three days, have to try and head the ball, but my biggest concern right now after seven days in bed, my fitness is not good," he said. "So now I'm going to work a double every day. No for this weekend, but maybe for the next one."

RSL coach Jeff Cassar said Morales is going to start his heading portion of the MLS concussion protocol for three days.

"If he finishes that, it's pretty much a go [for training]," he said.

"I think if everything goes good, I will train next week," Morales added.

***

Plata and Jaime full • RSL forwards Joao Plata and Sebastian Jaime participated fully in training Wednesday. Which means the strikers are inching forward to their much-anticipated returns. It was Plata's first full training session in four months since suffering a fractured fifth metatarsal in late January and Jaime's first full outing in the last month since suffering a fracture in his tibial plateau.

"They've got to get fit," Cassar said. "Their touch is going to come back, their choices are going to come back, all those things, but that fitness is going to be that last bit to take a little bit of time … when you're out months, it really becomes fitness … This was the very first training session. It's now how the body responds."

Asked if the staff would like to get either Plata or Jaime a match with Real Monarchs before returning to first-team duty, Cassar said, "It's a conversation. It's risk-to-reward."

***

Allen's availability • One of RSL's emerging young stars, Jordan Allen, seems set to stay with the club through the weekend. The 20-year-old midfielder one of 21 Americans called in for the U.S. U-20 World Cup in New Zealand this summer is likely to travel with RSL to Montreal Thursday before joining the U-20s.

Per L.A. Galaxy reporter Adam Serrano, forward Bradford Jamieson IV is expected to stay with his club through their trip to Orlando before joining the U-20s in Australia for a pre-World Cup camp. Which could be what Allen ends up doing should he travel and play Saturday with RSL.

Asked if he's made a decision on Allen's availability Saturday, Cassar said grinning, "I have."

"We're in contact with Tab [Ramos] and we have a great relationship and he understands how important [Allen] is to our team right now," Cassar added.

***

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani