Thierry Henry is well on his way to working his way back from a mild MCL sprain in his left knee that left him out of the lineup for last weekend’s match against the Montreal Impact. Whether or not that means he’ll be ready for Saturday’s match against the Philadelphia Union remains in question, as the team is concerned about taking the risk of potentially rushing the club’s captain back before he’s 100 percent.
“I’m a huge risk taker in life. I always have been with everything,” Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke said while talking to reporters Thursday afternoon. “With somebody’s health on my team, I’m not as much of a risk taker. All I can do, the best I can do is talk to my medical staff, which I trust very much, talk to the player, and make the best decision that I feel is for, first and foremost the player and his health, and very close behind, the club.”
Henry, who suffered the injury in the final minutes of the Red Bulls’ home opener against D.C. United, is taking it one day at a time. He has been training under the watchful eye of the team’s training staff since the injury, a slow and steady process as the team continues to monitor his progress. Henry admitted his frustration with the early-season injury to reporters outside the training pitch at Montclair State University.
“The way we are at the moment, you want to go out there and help,” Henry said of the team’s 0-2-2 start. “It’s a matter of how I’m going to deal with the pain.”
“As long as I can handle it I’ll try to go out there,” he added. “I’ll be available for the boss.”
The Red Bulls host the Union Saturday for a 3:30 PM kick off at Red Bull Arena. Get your tickets at Red Bulls Ticket Central, or by calling 877.RB.SOCCER.
