TUCSON, Ariz. – When Ryan Guy suffered a right calf strain during the New England Revolution’s preseason trip to Casa Grande, Ariz., in late January, he figured the injury would sideline him for a few days; maybe a week at most.
But the muscle soreness lingered longer than expected and Guy experienced a minor setback during his first comeback attempt in early February. Now almost a month after first suffering the injury, Guy has finally regained his health and recently rejoined his teammates in full training sessions.
“I was out for about three-and-a-half weeks and it felt like about eight weeks,” Guy admitted after training at Kino Sports Complex on Thursday morning. “When you’re doing two sessions a day, every day feels like two days. It’s difficult to kind of stay in the mix with the team and with the personalities, especially with a lot of new guys.
“It kind of strained a little bit, then I tried to come back and it strained a little bit more,” added Guy, who revealed the injury may have been related to a similar knock he had at the end of last season. “I really had to take my time coming back and finally I’m definitely feeling normal. No twinges, no anything, so I’m ready to get going.”
A healthy Guy is a boon for the Revs, who benefited from the former St. Patrick’s Athletic winger’s emergence at the tail end of the 2011 campaign. After biding his time on the Revolution’s bench for three months after his arrival in June, Guy started the final five games of the season and displayed his attacking instincts with a pair of goals in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Fire on Sept. 25.
Having established himself on the Revolution’s right wing after a lengthy battle for playing time in 2011, Guy entered the 2012 preseason with aspirations to build on that solid foundation. Slightly sidetracked by his recent injury, Guy is now fully prepared to fight the same battle he fought for much of last season.
“The steps it took and the time it took to get to the position that I was in last year are still fresh in my mind,” said Guy. “I really feel that I’m in a position where I have to do that again and I’m prepared. I’ve prepared my mind and my body to do that. A lot of times with an injury, it really rekindles some passion and a flame inside that makes me really want to fight for that position and now I know I have to, which is wonderful.”
Ever the optimist, Guy even hopes the experience proves beneficial to him down the road.
“You kind of have an outside view of everything, almost a third-party view of sorts,” he said of watching from the sideline for an extended period. “I think that in itself can be something used to my advantage in the long run; whether it’s knowing how others play, seeing how the team is coming together and maybe just from an outside view, seeing how I can fit into that mix.”
It’s possible Guy will have the chance to see how he fits into the mix in the very near future. Held out of the opening game of the Desert Diamond Cup as he continues to regain his fitness, Guy hopes to see the field at some point during the Revolution’s final three games in the tournament.
“It’s just a matter of getting fit now,” he said. “If [the coaching and training staffs] think that I’m fit and sharp enough to get on the pitch, then I’m all for it.”
