MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- It's a rare sight when New York Red Bulls head athletic trainer Rick Guter is holding court with reporters at the club's training facility. But with so many injury concerns, Guter was one of the most sought-after members of the Red Bulls staff Thursday.
Of particular interest was the condition of Juan Pablo Angel, who was held out of training during the week. It was initially believed the star striker was suffering from a left hamstring strain, which forced him to miss the Red Bulls' 2-0 loss at FC Dallas on April 12 and leave Saturday's 1-1 draw against the New England Revolution at the half.
But, as it turns out, Angel's injury woes aren't hamstring related. A visit to a specialist Thursday morning revealed the Colombian is suffering from spondylosis, a degenerative inflammatory arthritis in his lower back that has also ailed former U.S. national team defender Eddie Pope.
"Juan had (stress fractures) on one of the vertebrae on both sides," Guter said. "He saw a nerve specialist this morning and after looking at the MRI of that and we did an MRI of his hamstring this morning, which was completely clear, just to rule everything out."
Next step is a cortisone shot, which would sideline Angel for at least two more days, meaning he is unlikely to play against San Jose on Sunday at Giants Stadium.
"Once you get the cortisone, you take that inflammation out," Guter said. "He's such a physical specimen that once you can take the inflammation out, the muscles then take over and basically stabilize the area."
The reason Angel thought he had a hamstring strain is that the swelling in his lower back put pressure on a nerve, creating a spasm that felt like a strain, Guter said.
"There's no tear of any sort. It's just the swelling that's occurred because he's played for 17 years. Playing on turf, hard surfaces, it will sometimes flare up on you," Guter said. "We feel pretty strongly that we'll get this under control and we should be able to eliminate the problem for the future."
While Juan Carlos Osorio said he doesn't expect Angel to play against the Quakes, he does hope to see him back at BMO Field next Thursday when the Red Bulls take on Toronto FC.
"Juan is an intelligent player, he likes to hear the facts," Osorio said. "He went to see a specialist and apparently they convinced him, explained to him how it works. Now he's willing to do it. I don't think he will be in contention for a place on Sunday, but definitely for Toronto's game. The sooner he gets back, the better for everybody."
The Red Bulls strike force received another blow Thursday when it was learned newcomer Oscar Echeverry will be out for a month with a sprain to lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. The forward picked up the injury in Tuesday's training session and will not require surgery.
Without the two Colombians up front, the Red Bulls will likely see veteran John Wolyniec team with Jozy Altidore up front to start against San Jose, while rookie forward Chris Megaloudis could make his MLS debut.
The free agent from Queens, N.Y., scored a hat trick inside of 20 minutes in a recent scrimmage against Seton Hall University and has been capped four times by the Puerto Rican national team, scoring once.
"I think it will be a great chance for other players," Osorio said. "Chris Megaloudis might get a chance. Obviously John and Josmer probably have the upper hand, but I will not disregard what Chris can do for us. I think the little bit of playing time he has gotten for us he has done well."
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