Gazdag to miss Leagues Cup quarterfinal; he and Bedoya could be available for semi

The Philadelphia Union will be without attacking star Daniel Gazdag in a rematch with Querétaro FC in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal but a second win over the Liga MX team could see his return as early as Tuesday along with that of captain Alejandro Bedoya.

“He is a competitor and will want to be there Tuesday, but he will work toward recovery as best he can,” head coach Jim Curtin said in a Zoom call with media on Thursday.

Curtin said Gazdag’s knee injury – a non-contact injury picked up early in the second half against the New York Red Bulls on Tuesday night – was a “grade 1 sprain.”

“Luckily, it’s not a long term injury,” Curtin said.

Bedoya, meanwhile, has returned to training fully with the squad and could be available for selection if they advance to Tuesday’s semifinal. Bedoya has missed all of the Leagues Cup since leaving the July 15 match against NYCFC inside the first half hour.

What we’ve done over the past, you know, month plus without Alejandro, one of our best players, I think has been impressive and kind of gets lost in things,” Curtin said. “His leadership is still there in the locker room, obviously, but to have him back on the field is is another thing that really helps your attack.”