Brad Friedel explains the absence of his former captain

Claude Dielna has been absent from the game day 18 for two straight weeks. If the former captain and starter wants to get back into contention, he’s going to have to work hard on the training ground.

Dielna, 30, was acquired by the New England Revolution in July 2017 and soon became a regular for Jay Heaps. A regime change brought similar expectations, as Dielna continued to be a first-choice center back, while also receiving the captain’s armband.

By May, things had changed. Dielna was now fighting for minutes to play on the left side, competing against Gabriel Somi and Brandon Bye. On Aug. 4, Dielna found himself on the outside looking in, as he wasn’t even a bench option against Orlando City.

After the game, Brad Friedel was asked if this was related to injury, to which he responded, “No, no injuries.” One week later, Dielna was again left out of the game day 18. To this, Friedel, offered a simple explanation.

“[He’s] another player who works hard to get a spot in the 18,” he said.