Albert Rusnák has quad ‘tweak,’ could be ready for Antigua

RENTON — By just about every metric, Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer was thrilled with what the team accomplished during its time in Marbella, Spain. Coaches were able to implement a somewhat new game-model and the players mostly put it to good use, scoring 12 goals in 4.5 games and generally looking sharper than at this point in previous preseasons.

“I would say that this camp has been one of the most productive that we’ve had in quite some time,” Schmetzer told reporters on Monday, following the Sounders’ first local training session since returning from Spain. “Especially in the last games, there was really good quality from both squads. We were very pleased.”

That’s not to say the trip was literally perfect. Although the Sounders appear to have avoided any serious injuries, both Reed Baker-Whiting and Albert Rusnák picked up some knocks that could force them to miss some games.

Of the two, Baker-Whiting’s hamstring injury is the more serious. The 19-year-old was only able to lightly jog during Monday’s session and is expected to miss at least several weeks.

Rusnák, meanwhile, was also limited to jogging on the side after “tweaking” his right quadricep in last week’s match against Hammarby. He’s expected to miss Wednesday’s preseason game against Louisville City, but could resume training shortly after that. Schmetzer said there’s a chance Rusnák could feature against Antigua in Concacaf Champions Cup play, but is more likely available for the regular-season opener against Charlotte FC on Feb. 22.

“He’s going to be day-to-day,” Schmetzer said. “I want to be cautious with him. I can’t afford to lose him early in the year just because he wants to play.

“He’s a vital part of the team.”

Unlike last year when Rusnák suffered an ankle injury on the final day of training before the start of the season, the Sounders have a bit more of a clear plan to replace him. If Rusnák were healthy, one of Jesús Ferreira or Pedro de la Vega would have likely needed to come off the bench. Now, they are both likely to start.

“I feel good about the depth of the squad,” Schmetzer said. “The depth of the squad is one of its strengths. We have true competition at multiple spots. For us as a coaching staff, it’s great.”