FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Newcomers Claude Dielna and Krisztian Nemeth are both in contention to make their New England Revolution debuts when the Revs visit New York City FC on Sunday night.
Dielna arrived in Foxborough last Wednesday and while he wasn’t fit enough to feature in last weekend’s 1-0 home win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the 29-year-old center back has been pushing himself in an attempt to be ready for this weekend’s trip to Yankee Stadium.
“He’s putting together some really good fitness and training sessions, but we want to see where he is come Thursday and Friday,” said head coach Jay Heaps. “He’s definitely in contention; it’s just a matter of how many minutes and whether you start him or bring him off the bench.”
Nemeth – like Dielna – hasn’t featured in a competitive match in some time, but was four weeks into preseason preparations with Qatari club Al-Gharafa before making the move to New England. The Hungarian forward arrived in Foxborough late Sunday, and while he says he’ll need “a few weeks” to reach 100 percent fitness, there’s potential for him to contribute immediately in shorter bursts.
“It’s important that not only do we assess him and what he’s going to bring, but (also) where he is physically and not put too much on him too soon,” Heaps said of the 28-year-old attacker, who has officially been added to the Revs’ roster after receiving his ITC. “He’s got a little bit of a ways to go to be 90 minutes fit, but we think we can get good minutes out of him relatively quickly.”
As a defender, Dielna likely won’t debut until he’s pushing 90 minutes fit, while Nemeth could feature in a reduced role while he continues to build his stamina. Either way, Heaps said the Revs will know much more about the duo’s status late this week.
“There’s a different level of fitness that each position needs,” said Heaps. “We’ll blend that as we get there, but we really feel that both players are moving along in the right direction, and we’ll have more assessments on Thursday and Friday.”
