Logan Pause will be forced to miss the Aug. 18 Chicago Fire game with the New England Revolution. The team has revealed that the injury he suffered during a previous match resulted in a collapsed lung and broken ribs. The Fire's head coach Frank Klopas has not announced his replacement, but I think he may be considering Daniel Paladini.
Logan Pause's Injury
During the Aug. 12 match with the Philadelphia Union, Logan Pause suffered a rib injury. Although the midfielder was able to walk off the field unassisted, the Chicago Fire have revealed that the injury is more serious than fans initially believed. The team has issued an official statement, "Logan Pause suffered two broken ribs and pneumothorax as a result of a collision with former teammate Bakary Soumare."
The team has provided an estimate of his recovery time, and it could take up to six weeks before fans see him in action again. However, the severity of the pneumothorax or collapsed lung is not known. In some instances it may heal on its own, but more serious cases require a chest tube and surgery. The long recovery time stated by the team seems to indicate it is not a simple case.
Klopas' Replacement Options
Head coach Frank Klopas is likely to turn to Daniel Paladini as a replacement for Logan Pause because he has used him in the past. Although fans have not seen Paladini in the starting lineup frequently this season, he has participated in several games and is currently without an injury that would prevent him from playing.
Although I think Paladini is probably going to be Klopas' choice, he is not the only option. Corben Bone has been used in the past as a substitute for Logan Pause, so he remains as another replacement for the Aug. 18 game with the New England Revolution. On Aug. 12, Frank Klopas substituted Patrick Nyarko for Logan Pause, but he is not likely to use him again because the coach seems to like the previous formation. If Frank Klopas continues to use a similar formation for the next game, then fans are probably not going to see Nyarko.
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Lana follows MLS, UEFA and FIFA. She has been a faithful fan of the Chicago Fire since 1998. Follow @Lana_Bandoim on Twitter.
