The Blazing Musket attended Wednesday's training session for Portland Hearts of Pine.

Here are some notes from the trip.

Injuries

It's been difficult for Hearts to build continuity due to injuries. Key players, such as Mikey Lopez and Titus Washington, have been in and out of the lineup.

It's something that the coaching staff is looking to address.

"It's been more soft tissue injuries than normal, which is really frustrating to me because we look at the data and we're not overworking guys, so we're not sure where that's coming from," head coach Bobby Murphy said. "It could be hydration. It could be sleep. We're trying to monitor all of that stuff.

"Diogo [Barbosa] stubs his toe on turf and twists his knee the other day, nobody near him. Josh [Drack] gets a concussion. It's just been one thing after another. Just weird, freak stuff."

The team is getting healthier, which includes Lopez.

"He's back fit," Murphy said of Lopez. "He's been battling a hamstring. He thinks he's healthy, and then it tweaks again.

"I think we're pretty close to healthy, but something can change today."

Varela's Return

One player ready to return is the club's first-ever goalscorer, Walter Varela.

The attacker is in his first full week of training. While he's still working his way back to full fitness, he's been a welcome presence.

"Besides his ability as a player, he just embodies what we want players to be at this club," Murphy explained. "He lives and dies for it. It's been killing him not to play. I think his enthusiasm and example to others will be big."

Big Things For The Kidd

Matteo Kidd comes to Hearts having previously worked with Murphy at St. Louis 2. The midfielder can play in a few different spots and recently recorded an assist off a corner kick against Westchester SC.

"Matteo is a good little soccer player," Murphy said. "He played higher up in college and then in the pros, he dropped a little deeper.

"He's smart. He understands between the lines. He understands the system. He played for me at St. Louis. He's another coach on the field, and he connects really well with the guys.

"We're expecting big things out of him. I think he's going to work out."