It had been reported earlier that Manchester United striker Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez had been sent to the hospital for observation after suffering a concussion during training on Tuesday in New Jersey. After participating in the Gold Cup for the Mexican national team over the summer, Chicharito had been given an extended holiday in order to recover for the upcoming season. While he stayed back at the team hotel last night during his side's 4-0 victory over the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Stars at Red Bull Arena, he is expected to travel with the club to Washington DC on Thursday ahead of a friendly versus FC Barcelona on Saturday at FedEx Field. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson provided some detail on the timeline of the striker's recovery after the match with the MLS All-Stars:
"He would never have been available for Barcelona. He will be out for a couple of weeks. He got a concussion in training and we dealt with that. We took him to the hospital, he had a scan, it wall all clear. But he probably wouldn't have been playing in a couple of weeks anyway because he's just come back from his break after playing in the Gold Cup for Mexico. He wasn't going to be involved in our team for two or three week."
Source: www.manutd.com
Well, if it is only two, he could theoretically be ready for the opener versus West Bromwich Albion. If it is three, then he would be out. Beyond this, it likely is a wait-and-see sort of thing as his response to the concussion will determine how much training that he can get done. With it being the season's beginning and with the club's quality depth at striker, he most certainly will not be rushed back. This may provide an opportunity for Dimitar Berbatov to reclaim a spot as first-choice striker - he will most certainly be motivated after his much publicized exclusion from the 18 in the UEFA Champions League final in May. Michael Owen has shown good form as well during the pre-season tour and this could provide him an opportunity for regular playing time.