Sporting KC midfielder Graham Zusi still fighting through pain in foot

A foot injury that hampered Graham Zusi down the stretch of the 2014 season is still bothering the Sporting Kansas City midfielder after the first two weeks of the 2015 schedule.

Zusi visited a doctor Monday about pain associated with the stress reaction in his foot, which first emerged last October, and received feedback that the injury has not worsened, but it has prevented him from completing either of the club’s first two matches this season.

“I have my good moments and bad moments,” he said. “At this point, we’re trying to get to where it lasts a whole game without pain. It’s kind of a tale of two halves for me right now.”

After the conclusion of the 2014 season, Zusi took a multi-month break to rest the injury, even skipping time with the United States men’s national team.

The prescribed rest improved the stress reaction, Zusi said, but some pain gradually builds up over the course of an MLS match, and it specifically tends to stiffen when idle during halftime.

“The (doctor’s) visit was to try to figure out a way to reduce the pain and reduce the stress on the actual injury — whether that means getting a special boot or cleat for it, or an insert,” Zusi said. “We’re working on different things.”

Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes declined to say if he would rest Zusi during any of the team’s upcoming matches. Sporting KC plays host to Portland at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

This story was originally published March 17, 2015 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Sporting KC midfielder Graham Zusi still fighting through pain in foot."