BRADENTON, Fla. – After spending the second half of the 2013 season adjusting to the New England Revolution’s unique system and settling into his new life in Foxborough, Charlie Davies was eager to hit the ground running in 2014. Perhaps a little too eager.
While pushing himself through a particularly intense workout shortly before camp opened, Davies strained his right calf, an injury which has kept him sidelined through the first two weeks of preseason. That’s not exactly ideal timing for a player trying to establish himself as an attacking threat on a team in search of goals.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Davies, who laced up the boots on Wednesday to get in a bit of running and ball-work as he nears a return to the field. The 27-year-old hopes to be back in full training by the time the Revolution begins a week of work at Gillette Stadium on Monday, while he’s eyeing “100 percent” status before the club departs for Tucson, Ariz., next Saturday.
“It felt great. I’m really happy to be back out here and be with the guys,” said Davies, who admitted it’s been frustrating watching the Bradenton, Fla., portion of the Revolution’s preseason camp from the sidelines. “I’m really looking forward to starting full training.”
Davies has had to quell the urge to push his recovery too quickly; a scenario which he said almost inevitably results in a re-injury and which could’ve shelved him for the entire preseason. Instead, he’s taken every precaution to ensure his full recovery before stepping back on the field.
While missing the first two weeks of preseason camp was far from ideal, it was less of a concern for Davies because of his rigorous offseason workout regimen. After getting himself into top shape throughout November and December, he believes his fitness won’t be too far behind that of his teammates when he returns to full training next week.
“Preseason basically began for me once the season ended last year, so I’ve been working extremely hard every single day, really since the season ended,” Davies said. “It’s even a little bit more frustrating considering how hard I worked to not really start preseason off on the right foot, but I’m so fit that I think two weeks off really didn’t do too much detriment to my physique. I’ve still been able to go to the gym every day, so I think once I start up, I’ll hit the ground running.”