New York Red Bulls star midfielder Emil Forsberg is still some ways away from returning to the field after suffering a foot injury back in early June with the Swedish national team.
The 32-year-old was eligible to come off New York’s injured list last week for their Aug. 24 matchup against Charlotte FC, and despite head coach Sandro Schwarz imploring that “great progress,” has been made in his recovery, he will not be ready for Saturday’s match against the Philadelphia Union. Just seven games will be left in the 2024 MLS regular season following that game.
“Is it 10 days? Is it 14 days? Is it three weeks, something like that?” Schwarz began on Thursday. “I am pretty sure that he will come back as quick as possible.”
When asked if his season was in jeopardy, the Red Bulls’ gaffer was adamant in basically guaranteeing that Forsberg would make his way back.
“I am sure, and I can say this very clearly, that he will play in this season for us,” Schwarz said. “Hopefully, we have to make the first step and we have some games more before the playoffs but I’m sure that he will play in this season.”
Forsberg is in his first year in New York after making a high-profile jump to Major League Soccer from Red Bull Leipzig in the German Bundesliga. In 15 matches, he had six goals with four assists as the engine of the Red Bulls’ attack.
In his first 14 matches of the MLS season — not taking into account a brief five minutes he played on June 29 in an unsuccessful comeback attempt — the Red Bulls went 7-4-3. In his absence, they have won just twice in 10 MLS matches but have still been able to hold on to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
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Read more: Red Bulls’ Forsberg Injury Timeline Remains Uncertain
