Alhassan Yusuf took "a great step forward" on Thursday after coming out of Saturday's game with an injury.
The Nigerian has been a stalwart for the New England Revolution, starting 13 of 16 games. Against Atlanta United, he completed 29 of 30 pass attempts and recorded two assists. The second of which occurred just before he departed in the 59th minute.
After the game, Yusuf said, "I felt a little bit of pain. I twisted it a little bit, but I think it's not that bad because I'm feeling good right now."
While he wasn't a full participant at Tuesday's training, he has been making progress as the Revs prepare to travel north to face CF Montreal.
“Yusuf feels better day after day, and he took a great step forward today," head coach Marko Mitrovic said on Thursday. "We're still evaluating him day by day, and hopefully he can take another step forward tomorrow in order to play on Saturday. I think tomorrow will be the crucial day for our decision."
Mitrovic noted that Yusuf "is a very important part of our team" and that having him "is massive."
The 26-year-old leads the Revolution in tackles (1.8) and interceptions (1.4) per game. His tireless running helps protect the backline.
"Yusuf is very important, like every player," Mamadou Fofana said. "But when he is on the pitch, he always runs and is always in a good spot. So, he is very important for us.
"He got a small injury in the last game, but I hope he will be back soon. He is very important to us and a very good player. I hope he will keep [playing at] the same level."
