The Rapids (7-11-3) are expecting a skeleton crew for Friday’s critical away game against Real Salt Lake (7-8-6).
Hamstring injuries will rule out Pablo Mastroeni and Terry Cooke. Greg Dalby (foot) is out, and Mehdi Ballouchy and Ugo Ihemelu are recovering from concussions.
Ihemelu said Wednesday he was scheduled to revisit a neurologist and was hoping he might be cleared to travel to Utah today with the team.
“Certainly for the weekend, we’re going to be bare bones,” interim coach Gary Smith said.
Jacob Peterson (hip flexor) was a halftime substitution in last week’s 3-0 defeat at D.C. United and has been cleared to play. He would be a likely replacement for Cooke on the right side.
Rookie midfielder Ciaran O’Brien, as expected, has returned from his loan to the Seattle Sounders.
“I haven’t actually made my mind up on the personnel we’re going to use,” Smith said, “but when you look at the bodies we’ve got left, it’s not going to take a lot of working out (for) what way we’re going to go.”
Brian Forbes, Special to The Denver Post
Rams are Canada bound.
Simon Fraser is back on the Colorado State men’s basketball schedule.
The small Canadian school, whose inclusion on a regular-season schedule more than a decade ago elicited groans from fans, is one of three stops for the Tim Miles-coached Rams on a preseason British Columbia tour this weekend.
The NCAA allows schools one international trip every five years. Those that opt for a relatively close trip to Mexico or Canada on Labor Day weekend can use incoming players. Summer tours overseas cannot use newcomers. It also gives a team 10 extra days of practice.
Also on the trip, the Rams play the University of Fraser Valley and Trinity Western.
Natalie Meisler, The Denver Post
DU women golfers ranked 11th.
The University of Denver women’s golf team will start its season ranked No. 11 in the Golf World/Nike Division I coaches poll.
DU’s Stephanie Sherlock, a junior, and senior Katie Kempter were tabbed as two of the top 50 women’s players to watch. Defending champion Southern California is ranked No. 1.
