Nicolas Lodeiro making progress, could return as soon as late summer
Sounders midfielder has only 24 minutes this season.
Slowly but surely the Seattle Sounders are adding players back to the roster. Shane O’Neill returned to action on Sunday, Alex Roldan is back training with the Sounders this week and Cristian Roldan should be back no later than next week. Will Bruin could even be back in the next couple weeks.
No such return is quite as imminent for Nicolas Lodeiro, but he does at least seem to be making real progress.
Lodeiro is once again doing training activities and could return as soon as “late summer,” Sounders GM and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey said on Tuesday’s episode of Sounders Weekly.
Nicolas Lodeiro: "We're making progress on that one. He's taking the field. I don't think he's as far along as Bruin..We are making real progress there. I think certainly by the Fall, the early Fall, maybe even by really late Summer we might see some Nico Lodeiro on the field."
— Jackson Felts ⭐⭐ (@JacksonBFelts) July 28, 2021
Lagerwey was unable to provide anything like a clear timeline on fellow injured Sounders Stefan Frei (blood clots) and Nouhou (adductor).
For his part, Lodeiro also provided some reason for hope when he responded to a Sounders tweet about Tuesday being the five-year anniversary of his arrival in Seattle.
And this is just the beginning
— Nicolas Lodeiro (@NicolasLodeiro) July 28, 2021
While it’s still unclear when or even if the Sounders will be able to make an impact signing during the summer transfer window, getting back Lodeiro for the stretch run might be an even bigger boost. Although the Sounders have managed impressively well without their captain — they’re just one point off the Supporters’ Shield lead while claiming the league’s best goal-difference — their attack has slowed in recent weeks. The Sounders have scored just five goals in their past five games and haven’t scored more th an two goals since the third match of the season, coincidentally the only game in which Lodeiro appeared.