The injuries started to pile up before Real Salt Lake even finished preseason.
First there was Adam Henley’s hamstring, then Aaron Herrera’s groin. Marcelo Silva had to leave training with a hamstring injury the next week. Then Shawn Barry (knee) went down against LAFC. Joao Plata (hamstring) missed Saturday’s match against the Red Bulls, and Luis Silva was a late scratch as a precautionary measure.
Nine players have missed matches due to injury three matches into the season. That number includes Tony Beltran and Jordan Allen, who are recovering from knee surgeries they underwent last season, and Taylor Peay, who underwent a minor knee surgery during preseason.
“Our preseason this year, we hit exactly the marks that we wanted to,” RSL coach Mike Petke said. “I’m not a trainer, I’m not a doctor, I’m not a sports science guy … but to me it is eye-opening and it is head-scratching to see, not only this many injuries, but predominantly it’s hamstring injuries.”
This year for preseason, RSL spent a week in Utah before traveling to Tucson, Ariz., and Orlando, Fla., where they could train on grass. Petke put a strong emphasis on returning in shape, and all players went through a fitness test when they reported to camp.
Petke tried out players in different positions — for example, getting a look at left back Danilo Acosta at center back — in case the team needed added depth.
But the injury plague’s return has RSL wondering if it’s not a fluke.
“What are we doing as an organization that perhaps is either feeding into that or … are we doing something that’s causing this?” Petke said. “And that’s something that we have to look [into]. I’m not here to point fingers, but we have to figure this out.”
RSL’s bye this weekend will give the players with muscular injuries a chance to heal without missing matches. Henley already was available off the bench Saturday against the Red Bulls last weekend, although Herrera and Marcelo Silva were listed as questionable before the match.