Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber hoping to return after World Cup break

Benny Feilhaber allowed for the possibility Saturday that his shoulder injury won’t cause him to miss any MLS action with Sporting Kansas City.

Feilhaber sprained the acromioclavicular (AC) joint in his left shoulder during a June 6 match in Houston. The injury won’t require surgery, he said.

He landed hard on his shoulder after a dangerous tackle from Houston defender Eric Brunner. Shortly before the tackle, which sent Feilhaber airborne, he touched a pass to Soony Saad, who finished the play with his first goal of the season during a 2-0 win. Feilhaber sat out the second half.

X-rays taken earlier this week confirmed the sprain. Feilhaber said Saturday there is still no timetable for his return to the field, but it’s possible he will join his teammates when they resume MLS play on June 27 in Portland.

“I’d love to be back for the Portland game,” Feilhaber said. “But I won’t know until later. The shoulder is still pretty sore, but (it’s) feeling better every day, little by little.”

Sporting KC will play host to Minnesota United of the North American Soccer League on Wednesday in a fourth-round U.S. Open Cup match. Feilhaber will miss that match.

This story was originally published June 14, 2014 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber hoping to return after World Cup break."