Philly Leader

Philadelphia Union is set to start their final stretch of the season on the road, taking on Inter Miami CF at Chase Stadium. Before the team departed for their trip to Florida, Head Coach Jim Curtin met with the media, providing an update on his team’s health and preparations for the upcoming contest.

Curtin began his press conference by addressing team injuries suffered during the most recent international window, starting with more positive news about Tai Baribo, who hurt his hamstring with the Israeli National Team but will still be available against Miami on Saturday. “He has trained well the last two days, which was surprising. He feels good and ready to go and contribute,” Curtin said.

Andre Blake was next on Curtin’s list. The team’s 33-year-old goalkeeper returned from his international duties late Wednesday night but with some discomfort that could leave him out of this weekend’s contest. “Andre Blake picked up some real groin discomfort towards the end of his last game with Jamaica against Honduras. Some tightness, and just really felt in pain when he was kicking balls at the end of the game, which is obviously a big part of the game for a goalkeeper. So that hurts. He's kind of day to day. We'll see how he feels tomorrow,” Curtin said.

Blake wasn’t able to train on Thursday but did receive treatment at the club’s campus in Chester.

Last on the list was Philadelphia Union’s newest signing Danley Jean Jacques, who was away with Haiti when he hurt his ankle playing against Sint Maarten. “Everybody saw the tackle that Danley took by now on Twitter or various platforms. A tough tackle in a situation where on astroturf, it's a little tricky with the ankle. He's obviously in pain, came back on a flight, has gotten treatment the last two days, hasn't been able to train quite yet, but won't rule him out completely,” Curtin said.

Curtin closed his press conference with an update on Daniel Gazdag, who was unable to join Hungary during the window due to an injury suffered in the team's most recent match against New York Red Bulls. "It was a minor hamstring issue that led to him having to come out of the Red Bull game. I was a little nervous at first, but he's been able to train in recent days and look sharp and confident after we gave him about a week off. Is the sharpness exactly where it was before? No. But he will be available for our game."

Philadelphia Union has three games in nine days ahead, and with several players injured, Curtin could call on his depth as the team pushes for a playoff spot. It all starts against Inter Miami, one of their most challenging opponents this season.

“Obviously those three guys hurt, but at the same time it's got to be a next man up mentality because we play the best team in MLS this weekend in their building," Curtin said. "There’s a possibility of Messi maybe coming back. We have to prepare for that and prepare for their best group.”

As for rotation among his team, Curtin expressed confidence in his midfield depth while sharing that Blake’s presence will significantly impact their overall game plan.

“I think we do have depth in midfield," Curtin said. "Bueno comes off of a trip with Venezuela; didn't get any minutes but still good to get called in. Leon Flach is more than capable; you have Ale Bedoya, Quinn Sullivan, Jack McGlynn."

“You have enough guys in spots for midfield," he continued. "How we do it against a really strong team is still to be determined... If Andre's in goal I think that changes our plan quite a bit as well.”

Fourteen-year-old Homegrown Cavan Sullivan will take the trip to Florida with Union and may face soccer's biggest name. Before elaborating on whether Sullivan would see minutes, Curtin spoke about Sullivan’s recent development and why just taking this trip is important for his growth.

“Messi is arguably one of our game's greatest players," Curtin noted."You have young talent like Cavan Sullivan coming up who still has much work ahead but shows flashes... Whether he plays or not depends on how things go during the game."

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