Union's Bedoya expected to play on Saturday

To nobody's surprise, the Union's highly anticipated new addition, U.S. national team midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, will be in the lineup when they visit the New England Revolution on Saturday for a key Major League Soccer game.

Bedoya, who has played his entire career in Europe, most recently with Nantes in France, was acquired from the Chicago Fire last week in the allocation process.

He attended Saturday's 2-2 draw at D.C United, but didn't suit up.

Now with a week to train with his new team, coach Jim Curtin is looking forward to seeing Bedoya's MLS debut.

"He will be part of the group. That is for sure," Curtin said Wednesday at his weekly news conference. "When you bring in a quality player like that, we are not going to ease him into it."

Curtin said there will be an adjustment period, but he has liked what he has seen in Bedoya's brief time in training.

"It is still going to be a process of being acclimated to the group, but he is picking things up very fast and brings a real presence to our locker room and on the field as well," Curtin said.

The Union are 8-8-7 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 31 points. New England (6-9-8) is right behind the Union with 26 points. The top six teams will make the playoffs.

In other news, defensive midfielder Brian Carroll, who was injured in the first half Saturday and didn't return, is out three to six weeks, Curtin said, with plantar fasciitis.

"It is something he has managed for a long time now and has been dealing with, and it just kind of popped in the game, and he knew right away that would be it," Curtin said.

Carroll was replaced by Warren Creavalle, who is expected to start Saturday.

To add depth, defender Ken Tribbett was playing the defensive midfield position in training Wednesday morning.

Curtin also said that designated player and midfielder Maurice Edu, who has yet to play this season because of a stress fracture in his left leg, is nearing a return.

The first step would be to play for the Union's United Soccer League affiliate, the Bethlehem Steel. Curtin said playing this week with Bethlehem may be too soon, but he still had to consult with the medical staff.

Curtin wouldn't say whether Tribbett, who had a rough game in D.C., would keep his center- back spot or whether Josh Yaro would reenter the lineup.

Finally, the Union signed defender Auston Trusty as their second homegrown player in the last month. Trusty, from Media, was a member of the Union Academy since its inception in 2013. This year, Trusty, who turns 18 on Friday, has been called up three times to the U.S under-20 national team.

Last month, the Union signed midfielder Derrick Jones to a homegrown deal.

mnarducci@phillynews.com

@sjnard