The news coming out of the Houston Dynamo practice this morning is that midfielder Geoff Cameron could be set to return to first team action this Thursday in the SuperLiga semifinal against Mexican side Morelia.
Earlier this season, Cameron tore his right PCL in a non-contact injury while playing against the Chicago Fire. The injury was initially believed to be season-ending, but Cameron's knee seems to have completely healed after a rigorous rehabilitation regimen.
Cameron had been working on his fitness on his own until last week when he started going through portions of team training sessions. He received good news this morning when he learned he has been cleared to go into full-time team training and may, despite continuing to strengthen his knee, see first-team action soon.
"It feels pretty good," he said. "I haven't had any problems."
The return of Cameron to the line-up is great news for coach Dominic Kinnear, who has recognized how important a player like Cameron is to the team. Whenever Cameron returns to the team as a full-strength player, he can either play center-attacking midfielder, center-defensive midfielder, or anywhere along the back line.
"He's doing all right," Kinnear said. "He's doing OK. We hope to get him back Thursday. He's an important player for us."
Given the Dynamo's struggles in the midfield this season, Cameron will likely return to a central role, though it is yet to be determined if that will be offensive of defensive. Jamaican Lovel Palmer was brought in as a defensive midfielder but has had success playing in the offensive midfield role. His success could push Cameron in a more defensive role with the ability to move forward as play dictates.
Cameron could also return to the line-up as a defender, where he played most of last season, which would likely push Andrew Hainault back to the middle alongside Bobby Boswell, pushing Eddie Robinson out of the starting line-up. Regardless of where Cameron ends up, his presence will be a welcomed return for a team that is trying to put together a positive run in order to make a push for the playoffs.