Revolution’s Maciel expected to return next week

Maciel looked set to make his New England Revolution debut against the Chicago Fire, but an injury forced a change of plans. The 21-year-old now has his sights set on suiting up against D.C. United on Apr. 24.

Maciel took to Twitter on Saturday morning to reveal that he had a leg injury. It was a big blow for the former second team player, who contributed 279 minutes during preseason.

Bruce Arena noted that Maciel is expected to be back in training this week, stating that his presence was missed during the Revs’ 2-2 draw against the Fire.

“I thought we missed him a little bit,” Arena remarked. “He’s one of our better players playing under pressure. I think we would’ve been a little bit more comfortable playing out of the back with Maciel in there.”

Matt Polster and Tommy McNamara started in the center of the park and Arena was complimentary of both players. The head coach said that Polster “had a very good game” while McNamara “had a real good second half.”

Andrew Farrell offered similar praise for Polster and McNamara, noting that the Revs have plenty of talent in the midfield. Each player offers something different, which makes for intense competition when everyone is healthy.

Like Arena, Farrell is excited to get Maciel back in the fold.

“He has a really good range of passing, which can break lines and he can find guys like Carles, Gustavo and Adam,” Farrell said. “Going forward, he has a really good motor so he can cover a lot of ground and is really confident on the ball. So obviously he’s a player that we missed, obviously through injury but I think we’re looking forward to having him back soon.”