COMMERCE CITY — Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni is likely to miss Thursday’s wild-card playoff game with Columbus because of a concussion suffered Oct. 14 against Real Salt Lake.
Mastroeni knocked heads with an RSL player in the penalty area and was driven off the field while seated in a cart. Rapids coach Gary Smith is hopeful Mastroeni could play Sunday in the next round of the playoffs — if the Rapids beat Columbus.
Mastroeni ran Tuesday for the first time since the injury and declined to speak with reporters.
“He’s slowly but surely finding his feet again,” Smith said. “It was quite a nasty bang on the head. We’re hopeful this week’s work might leave him in a position by the end of the week — if we’re still involved — that he might be available to us.”
Mastroeni is usually paired in central midfield with Jeff Larentowicz. Smith could move Wells Thompson or Jamie Smith — both of whom normally play outside midfield — into Mastroeni’s spot.
“One or two things for me to contemplate,” Smith said. “The fact is, we’ve still got a very competitive and efficient team.”
