Injury bug bites Rowdies

Posted Jul 1, 2010 by Nick Murray

Updated Jul 1, 2010 at 11:59 AM

If the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies are to end their four-game losing streak in the USSF Division II on Sunday against Miami FC, they may have to do it without three of their most dependable starters.

Forward Aaron Wheeler, midfielder Jeremy Christie and defender Erik Ustruck could all miss Sunday’s game, Ustruck having to be helped from the field with what appeared to be a left ankle injury suffered during Thursday’s scrimmage.

Wheeler, who has scored four goals this season, will miss at least four weeks and could miss up to six with a stress reaction in his right shin. While not the stress fracture that the team had feared initially, it is still a major blow.

“(The doctor) said it’s one of the biggest ones he’s come across,” Rowdies coach Paul Dalglish said. “It’s about 10 centimeters, they’re normally only two or three centimeters, his is 10, so he’s definitely out for four weeks and then we’ll assess it again then.”

Christie looked to be moving relatively well in his first practice since returning from representing New Zealand at the World Cup in South Africa, but a nagging groin issue slowed him towards the end of practice. Christie said he’d picked up the injury during the All Whites’ warm-up game against Slovenia before the tournament, but was able to train and play through it for the past three weeks.

“A little bit nasty today,” Christie said. “It’s something I’ve had to manage throughout the World Cup and now that I’m back here hopefully it’s going to settle down. It was a little bit nasty today, but I’ll see the physio this afternoon and hopefully he can give me some magic pills and make it feel good.”

Also sitting out practice were Scott Buete (hernia) and Joe Donoho, who has a minor hip flexor. Neither is expected to be available this weekend, but Donoho could return to practice next week. Until then, though, the Rowdies’ depth will be tested.

“When three of your main players are out, it’s not (good),” Dalglish said. “We’ve got a good squad, though, and we’ll just have to look within our squad to try and deal with it.”