VANCOUVER, BC — Vancouver Whitecaps FC Designated Player Kenny Miller returned to training on Friday after a break in the Scotland to be with his wife as she gave birth to the newest member of the Miller clan.
The 33-year-old forward arrived back Wednesday and rested up on Thursday. And while he says his hamstring has improved, he says he won’t be involved against FC Dallas on Saturday (3 pm PT; Sportsnet, MLS Live in Canada).
“It’s been a frustrating few weeks,” Miller told reporters on Friday. “Having to watch the team from the sidelines – hopefully that’s come to an end now, and tomorrow maybe just comes a little bit too soon.
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“But maybe looking to be involved at some point Wednesday night [against FC Edmonton in the second leg of the Canadian Championship semifinals].”
Miller’s presence has been missed. He was a key figure in both of the team’s wins to start the season, and scored a goal in a 2-1 loss to Chivas USA on March 30 as a substitute after returning from international duty with Scotland.
But hamstring injuries can be tricky, and now it’s about that balance between getting back involved in the first team without aggravating the issue and causing a further delay to full fitness.
“I just felt a little twinge in it [last week],” Miller said. “So it was a sign to take a few steps back, but it feels pretty good this morning. There’s not been any negative reaction to this morning’s training so, that said, a little light session tomorrow, and then I’ll look to get back to full training on Monday.”
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Despite the loss to FC Dallas last weekend, Miller is confident his teammates are capable of claiming all three points on Saturday in the rematch.
“At home you’ve got to be confident,” Miller explained. “We’ve had two good results and it maybe turned out to be a good point against Salt Lake here the last time, so we’ve got to look to get back to winning ways.
“It’s been a long time in the league without a win. Sometimes it’s hard to get over that, but we’re at home, in front of our home fans, it’s important that we go and get three points tomorrow and get things back on track.”
