Victor Cruz missed two practices last week and is still sidelined with a calf injury that has New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin “concerned” about his star receiver.
Coming back from his torn patellar tendon, Cruz’s recovery seemed to be coming along nicely until last week. But a calf strain has put the kibosh on his return to action at this time, which isn’t ideal considering he hasn’t been able to play in a preseason game of yet.
As the team prepares for its Saturday game against the New York Jets, Cruz remains sidelined, which does give Coughline reason for concern.
“Concerned? Yeah,” he said (h/t New York Daily News). “Because obviously there were a couple of slotted opportunities (for Cruz to practice last week). Yeah, yeah I am.”
The coach hasn’t ruled Cruz out for Saturday’s contest but does call the injury “day-to-day.” He said that in order for Cruz to participate against the Jets he’ll need to practice “for a few consecutive days” before he’ll consider throwing him out onto the field.
This must be a frustrating setback not only for Cruz, who is certainly itching to get back into action after his injury, but also to the Giants. One of the most dynamic receivers in the game when healthy, Cruz’s participation this season should spark New York’s offense to great heights in the upcoming season.
If this injury lingers into next week, it could potentially lead to a slow start for Cruz during the regular season.