Training Notes: Saborio up for return, Palmer and Garcia doubtful

Training today presented some interesting insights into the state of the club, including the fact that Alvaro Saborio could well be involved on Friday.

• Alvaro Saborio, after missing the last two matches, could be available for selection. Kreis: "I think he's feeling a lot better ... still have to converse with him about what his role can be, but I do think he's available tomorrow."
• Lovel Palmer and Olmes Garcia would both seem to be in doubt for Saturday, with Garcia suffering from what seemed to be a muscular concern, and Palmer recovering from a nasty head knock with Chris Wingert in training earlier this week. Wingert has been fine, but Palmer was very lightly involved today.
• Plenty of injured players have been in training: Rich Balchan and John Stertzer were involved in warm-ups and then worked with Tyson Pace off to the side during small-sided games. I go into more detail on Schuler below, but he looks close to a first-team return.
• Benji Lopez appears to have grown a few inches, and without his ridiculous hair, he looks, well, like a regular kid. We should be able to get sight of him in Saturday's reserves match.
• Brooks Lennon, RSL Academy kid, youth national team player, and highly rated prospect trained with the club today. He didn't look bad, but it's just his first day with the first team, and you could see how big of a gap there innately is between the teenager and the veterans.
• Integrating Chris Schuler could be a difficult task, but it's one the coaching staff has been focused on. Again, Kreis: "It's a process, and we're going to have to put some real thought into it ... there's no other way to get back fitness other than to just play. We try to take a fairly patient approach and do all the right things by the player, such that we don't rush him into something and get him re-injured. He's real close, and his minutes are right around the bend."
• Ricardo Gardner remains involved with the club; we could see him and his hair (of which there is plenty) on Saturday with the reserves. Chris Schuler should see minutes there, too, as per Kreis.