U.S women’s national team manager Vlatko Andonovski says that attacker Tobin Heath and midfielder Julie Ertz are both “on schedule” to recover from their respective injuries in time to play in the Tokyo Olympics.
Heath suffered an ankle injury with club side Manchester United last January, and later sustained a knee injury during her recovery. Ertz suffered an MCL sprain in the season-opening 5-0 defeat to the Portland Thorns back on May 16.
– Rapinoe, Lloyd called to camp; Heath, Ertz injured
– Stream LIVE games and replays on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
Heath is back training with the U.S. ahead of friendlies against Portugal, Jamaica and Nigeria, but isn’t on the roster for the matches.
“Tobin is a little bit ahead of Julie in her progression,” said Andonovski. “She’s in camp here and training every day, and she’s medically, pretty much ready. The only thing now for Tobin is physically we’ve got to prepare her and build her stamina on the field.”
Andonovski added that the U.S. team medical staff will check in on Ertz in the coming days, though he’s liked what he sees so far in terms of the player’s recovery.
“We’re excited [with] where she’s at right now,” Andonovski said about Ertz. “But we’re going to have to be very careful with our approach, and make sure that she’s fully recovered before she plays a game.”
That Heath isn’t on the roster for Thursday’s game, as well as subsequent friendlies against Jamaica on June 13 and versus Nigeria three days later, means by the time Andonovski names his roster he will not have seen Heath play in a match for the U.S. since last November. Andonovski said that while the circumstances are less than ideal, and “makes us think a little bit,” he likes Heath’s chances of making the squad.
“If she’s 100%, or if we know that she’s going to be close to 100% by the Olympic camp, her chances to make the team are pretty good.”