Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell: I'm ready to go for MLS Cup
COLUMBUS, Ohio --
Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell expects to recover from a right calf injury in time to feature against Columbus Crew SC in MLS Cup on Sunday.
Timbers captain Ridgewell limped off after an hour in the Timbers’ 3-1 victory over FC Dallas in the first leg of the Western Conference final on Nov. 22. The former Aston Villa and Birmingham defender attempted to recover in time for the second leg last Sunday, but he missed out on a place in the squad and watched the Timbers secure a MLS Cup berth for the first time with a 2-2 draw.
The extra recovery time allowed Ridgewell to return to full training on Wednesday and stake his claims for a place in the starting XI at MAPFRE Stadium.
“I’m feeling very well. I’m fit, ready to be selected and ready to go, to be honest,” Ridgewell said after the Timbers arrived in Columbus on Thursday night. “It’s been a bit of a rough 10 days missing out on the game last week. I’ve just been trying to concentrate on getting my calf right and trying to make sure I’m fit. It’s been a bit of a struggle, but, hopefully, it’ll be there.”
Ridgewell proceeded through a similar process last week after he traveled to Texas with the Timbers in a bid to overcome the troublesome calf complaint and feature in that second leg in Frisco. Those efforts ultimately faltered when he failed a fitness test last Saturday. Timbers coach Caleb Porter opted to leave Ridgewell out of his squad entirely and select Norberto Paparatto instead.
“It was very difficult,” Ridgewell said. “Once I tried it on the Saturday and it didn’t work for me, it was probably one of the toughest points in my career to date, to be honest with you. I thought I was going to be fine. I was just trying to get through it, get through it. It wouldn’t allow me to go any further. It was a difficult thing.”
At this point, Ridgewell said he is focused on managing his injury and making sure he is in the proper state to feature against Crew SC. Porter noted he plans to monitor Ridgewell carefully as he debates whether to include him this weekend.
“He’s had a little bit of a calf [injury] -- a tight calf, it’s not really a strain,” Porter said. “He’s struggled with it. It’s going to be day-to-day, but we’re hopeful that he’ll be available Sunday.”
