More on Carlos Bocanegra’s hernia surgery May 23, 2010

Then there’s Bocanegra, who could start in the center or at left back. On Saturday, U.S. coach Bob Bradley dropped the nugget that Bocanegra had undergone sports hernia surgery earlier this month. The procedure took place in Munich with Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck, the renowned sports hernia surgeon who pioneered a technique that cuts recovery time to as little as two weeks.
Two weeks is exactly how long it took for Bocanegra to start full training with the U.S. team on Wednesday. According to Bocanegra, he was kicked on the left knee in a game on March 28 against Le Mans.
“It was above my knee, kind of in my left quad,” said Bocanergra. “I couldn’t flex my leg properly for three days. I was walking really awkwardly and tried to run on it like that.” The hernia, Bocanegra said, came as a result of overcompensation. He felt pain for “about four weeks” and had the sports hernia procedure in Munich on May 5.
Bocanegra said the sugery lasted 15 to 20 minutes. “For me it was not a big issue,” he added. “The procedure was quick. I was in and out. You’re walking right away and I was running three days later.”
He said he expects to be available for the U.S.’s friendly on Tuesday in East Hartford, Conn., against the Czech Republic.
Several MLS players have had the same sports hernia procedure with Dr. Muschaweck, including New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman. When I asked Twellman about it on Twitter today, he DM’d me back, writing:
“If Carlos takes care of the injury now–i.e., scar-tissue massage–he’ll be fine.”
Recovery, Twellman wrote, takes “anywhere from 2-3 weeks. It’s later on that he’ll have side effects that suck. She cuts a nerve, which ends up not good later.” Twellman added that a few other MLS players who’ve had the Muschaweck procedure had dealt with similar “problems” in the longer term.

So it sounds as though Captain American ought to be available for the World Cup, but many US fans have to be getting increasingly concerned about the injuries that the backline has suffered.
If Bocanegra is out, Jay Demerit would almost assuredly start at CB with LB being an open competition between Heath Pearce, Jonathan Bornstein, and Jonathan Spector. Wahl may be right that this leads to an 8th defender (I am guessing Bornstein are battling for 7th/8th right now) being taken instead of another midfielder.