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Cavan Sullivan will miss Union’s big game vs. New England with an ankle injury

The young playmaker missed Wednesday's practice and then practiced Thursday. But he was listed as out on Friday's injury report released by MLS.

Union star Cavan Sullivan will miss Saturday's big game against New England with an ankle issue.
Union star Cavan Sullivan will miss Saturday's big game against New England with an ankle issue.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

Union star Cavan Sullivan won’t play in Saturday’s big game against the New England Revolution at Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV) because of a hit to his ankle he took in last Saturday’s 2-2 tie with Charlotte.

Interim Union manager Ryan Richter revealed the injury on Thursday, after Sullivan didn’t practice Wednesday. But the young playmaker was back Thursday, and Richter said he expected Sullivan to be fine for Saturday night.

That did not hold up. When MLS published its player availability report Friday evening, Sullivan was listed as out. Defensive midfielder Jesús Bueno also is out as he continues to rehab a hamstring injury suffered earlier this month.

The Union enter the weekend sixth in the Eastern Conference (13-10-7, 46 points), and would clinch a playoff berth with a win over third-place New England (16-10-4, 52 points). They also could clinch with a tie against the Revolution and other results leaguewide going their way.

Sullivan being ruled out comes a day after MLS’s disciplinary committee fined him an undisclosed amount “for violating the league’s policy regarding simulation/embellishment” on a play in the 84th minute of the Charlotte game.

Some people think diving is one of the biggest scourges in soccer. Others say that a well-timed fall is a sign of street smarts.

In this case, Charlotte captain Ashley Westwood complained about the incident on Thursday, but many Union fans didn’t.

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