Jamal Thiaré’s recurring calf injury has cropped up again, which will sideline him from the Crew lineup for an unspecified amount of time.
Thiaré, acquired Jan. 31 in a trade with Atlanta United, is dealing with the lingering injury that has hampered him since April. After logging 86 minutes in a key 2-2 draw Aug. 1 at Inter Miami, he wasn’t available in either of the Crew’s first two Leagues Cup games – wins over Atlas FC and CF Pachuca.
Asked for an update on Thiaré on Aug. 10 at Ohio Health Performance Center, interim head coach Laurent Courtois said the speedy forward has regressed after returning from the month-long World Cup break.
“He had to kind of force it a little
bit to come back because he wanted to contribute so bad, and we [also] needed him so bad,” Courtois said. “So, maybe we both went a little bit faster than maybe we would’ve wanted for his total recovery, and right now we’re going to be able to really give him a chance to put this behind him once and for all … but it needed to be taken care of, so this is what we’re going to do this time.”
When healthy, Thiaré provides speed up front to stretch the field. He was acquired two days before the Crew sent forward Jacen Russell-Rowe to Toulouse FC of France’s Ligue 1 on Feb. 2, but hasn't been healthy enough to make a big impact offensively. Thiaré has started in just three of the 12 MLS games he's appeared in, scoring one goal July 25 in a 2-1 victory over rival FC Cincinnati.
Combined with star forward Wessam Abou Ali’s season-ending knee injury, not having Thiaré’s speed and skill creates quite a challenge on the attack. Options to replace Thiaré include midfielder Taha Habroune, rookie forward Chase Adams and forward Gonzalo Tapia, who’s expected to arrive Aug. 12 on loan from Sao Paulo of the Brazilian League.
Dispatch Blue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew's Jamal Thiaré to miss time with lingering calf injury
