Seattle Sounders: Clint Dempsey Cleared to Return to Training
By Paul Taylor
Clint Dempsey was back in training on Wednesday, but the Seattle Sounders are remaining purposely vague about when he will start playing again.
The Seattle Sounders have struggled in their last three games, taking just two points from a possible nine. A big part of the reason for this is the absence of Clint Dempsey, who has been out as a result of an irregular heartbeat.
Obviously the main concern for the team and fans alike, is the health of Dempsey. However, it is still natural to wonder if and when he will return to action, especially given the precarious nature of the Sounders’ playoff challenge.
In that respect, there was some positive news on Wednesday, as the 33-year old was back in training for the first time. Just don’t expect much more information at this stage in respect of when he will actually play again.
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Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Garth Lagerwey said: “Dempsey has been cleared to return to training, to exercise, but he’s not been medically cleared to play yet.”
In fairness to the Sounders’ general manager, he is compromised by what he is allowed to tell people, due to medical privacy issues. What we do know, is the US international underwent a procedure last week, to deal with some of the issues surrounding his irregular heartbeat.
At least Lagerwey and the Sounders are making Dempsey’s health the number one priority: “When Clint feels better and the doctors consider it safe, then we will consider his return to play.
“You can’t just say, ‘Clint’s important to us.’ You have to mean it. And that means Clint’s health comes first.”
Despite the lack of a timeline for the Nacogdoches, Texas native’s return, he still offered a bit of boost to his teammates. As interim head coach Brian Schmetzer told the media: “It was similar to Roman (Torres)…coming back, you could feel that the morale was higher.”
Sounders fans will obviously be hoping it is enough of a morale-booster for Saturday’s crucial home clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps. If the Rave Green don’t starting winning again soon, it won’t matter when Dempsey comes back.
Next: Predicting the rest of the Sounders' schedule
How confident are you in the Sounders’ ability to continue getting positive results in the absence of Dempsey? Further, do you see them qualifying for the playoffs or do you believe they will fall short? Let us know in the comments section below.