Real Salt Lake still waiting for Kyle Beckerman

LEHI — Nobody, not even Kyle Beckerman himself, has any idea when Real Salt Lake's team captain will be healthy enough to return to the field.

Despite training with the team for two weeks, the torn tendon in Beckerman's left foot is still causing him quite a bit of pain. He's listed as questionable for Thursday's game in Chicago, and coach Jason Kreis said he'll wait until Wednesday to determine if Beckerman even travels with the team.

Beckerman has been sidelined since May 22 with the injury. He said he's itching to get back on the field, but is also just trying to take his recovery one day at a time.

Kreis has noticed plenty of progress in the past few weeks.

"He feels and we feel like he's getting better every day. He feels in his ankle that it feels better every day, and we look and see that it looks better every day," said Kreis. "We're moving forward, but it's hard to give any concrete answers, it's just the nature of the beast."

Kreis would love to have Beckerman available ASAP, but he's the first to admit there's no need to rush him back. RSL is 3-0-2 without him, and with the CONCACAF Champions League getting under way in August, the team will need him during that busy schedule more than ever.

"From our point of view, we have no reason to pressure him to coming back before he's fully ready. And we know, starting in August, we have an absolutely daunting schedule in front of us. If he's healthy by then and fully 100 percent, that's probably a better thing than if he's 75 percent or 80 percent and struggling through things in July," said Kreis.

With the team consistently winning, it's easier for Kreis to be patient during Beckerman's recovery. He also doesn't think it's a coincidence that RSL is winning without him.

"We think that we've built things the right way here, and there's only one indicator of that, there's only one answer to those questions and that's results, and the answers have been in our favor now," said Kreis.

HAPPY HOMECOMING: Will Johnson spent a good chunk of his childhood growing up in Chicago, and returning to Illinois to play against the Fire is always one of the highlights of his season.

Johnson actually played for his hometown Fire in 2005, but he left the club on bad terms in the offseason and ended up playing in Europe for two seasons.

Whenever he returns to Chicago, he has a ton of ticket requests. Johnson said he's personally responsible for 30 tickets for his family and friends, while he expects another 30 or so to show up and cheer him on.

He won't be alone. He's one of six RSL players with ties to Chicago.

"Chicago is always a fun place to play, and we have a lot of ties to Chicago on this team," said Johnson.

Ned Grabavoy, Raushawn McKenzie and Chris Schuler are all from the Chicago area, while RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey also hails from the Windy City. Midfielder Andy Williams also called Chicago home for two years when he played for the Fire in 2003 and 2004.

e-mail: jedward@desnews.com