Starting left back Waylon Francis might require surgery to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder, but the club doesn't want him going under the knife just yet.

Crew SC coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter hopes Francis can rehab the injury he suffered Saturday in a 3-3 draw against New York City FC and possibly return to the lineup in the days or weeks ahead.

"We're seeing how much strength he has and then going from there," Berhalter said Tuesday afternoon. "If he has enough strength then we're going to continue on and if he doesn't we might need a surgical procedure."

Starting left back Waylon Francis might require surgery to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder, but the club doesn�t want him going under the knife just yet.

Crew SC coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter hopes Francis can rehab the injury he suffered Saturday in a 3-3 draw against New York City FC and possibly return to the lineup in the days or weeks ahead.

�We�re seeing how much strength he has and then going from there,� Berhalter said Tuesday afternoon. �If he has enough strength then we�re going to continue on and if he doesn�t we might need a surgical procedure.�

The labrum is a piece of cartilage attached to the rim of the shoulder socket that helps keep the ball of the joint in place. Francis dislocated his shoulder, an injury similar to the one team captain Michael Parkhurst sustained in the spring. Parkhurst played through pain, and continues to wear a brace.

No two shoulder injuries are alike. Crew midfielder Ben Swanson attempted to return from a shoulder injury before having surgery and being placed on the season-ending injury lost last month.

�It�s on a case by case basis depending on the strength of the athlete,� Berhalter said.

Francis attended Tuesday�s training but did not participate. Berhalter, however, is not yet ruling him out for Saturday�s game in New England. The Crew�s situation at left back is a bit sketchy at the moment. Corey Ashe is dealing with a knee injury. He watched the final portion of Tuesday�s practice from the sidelines with ice applied to his knee.

Hector Jimenez and Chad Barson also are options, but both players are right footed, making it trickier to cross from the left side.

�We�re not assuming anything,� the coach said. �We�re going to take it day by day.�

treed@dispatch.com

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