Sounders forward Nelson Valdez isn’t injured, at least according to coach Sigi Schmid, having fully recovered from the nagging calf problem he’d struggled with earlier this season.
The 32-year-old played in only one of Paraguay’s Copa America Centenario matches, so he should be relatively well rested, too — though Schmid did say afterward that fitness is part of the issue.
Whatever the explanation, Seattle’s second-highest-paid player was again relegated to the bench for Saturday’s 2-0 home loss to New York City FC, coming on only as a second-half substitute.
“He’s still working his way in terms of fitness,” Schmid said afterward.