FRISCO, Texas – After missing FC Dallas' last two games due to a nagging leg injury, midfielder Mauro Diaz appears to be making progress toward a full return.
The 24-year-old playmaker participated in about 80 percent of FCD’s training session on Tuesday, taking part in all team activities before heading into the locker room prior to the end of practice as part of a specifically designed training program for the midfield maestro.
Should his injury respond well to Tuesday’s session, FC Dallas plans on having Diaz take part in the entirety of Wednesday’s practice.
“He did a lot of work today,” head coach Oscar Pareja said on Tuesday. “He was part of our small-sided game. The levels of strength that we are working with [are] to avoid any difficulty.
“Today was good. He was looking good. We are waiting to see how he reacts to it.”
Diaz started last season on a tear, racking up three goals and three assists in his first eight games of 2014 and earning MLS Player of the Month honors for March. He suffered a setback in late April, going down with a knee injury in Dallas’ 4-1 loss to D.C. United that sidelined him for most of the rest of the season.
FC Dallas is closely managing Diaz’s playing time and training sessions this year as part of a plan to ensure he can contribute as much as possible in 2015. Considering how the club have usually performed when he's healthy and fully integrated, a comprehensive strategy to get the most out of the Argentine seems prudent.
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Diaz’s next chance to suit up for Dallas will come on Friday, when FCD will look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season last week at Portland with a home win against the Colorado Rapids (7 pm ET, UniMas).
“We do this to prepare him for a long season,” Pareja said. “We have a player who needs to be stronger this year, due to the lack of competition he has had in the last year. We feel his strength needs to be better in order to avoid overloads or reactions.”
