Three weeks to the day after breaking his left wrist in the first minute of a game against the New York Red Bulls, Artur was back in the lineup for Crew SC’s 3-2 victory over the Montreal Impact.

The 21-year-old midfielder from Brazil said Friday he felt a bit out of rhythm in his first game back. The enormous soft cast enveloping his left wrist didn’t feel particularly comfortable and threw off his balance, but he managed to tough his way through a full game and lead his team with seven tackles, to the surprise of Crew coach Gregg Berhalter.

“In Artur’s case, we knew he was apprehensive when he got the injury. He never had something like that. It’s understandable. I’ve been in hospitals in foreign countries and it’s not a comfortable feeling,” Berhalter said. “He got some great medical care, but you still have a level of concern. It was reading the player and how quickly we can get him moving and pushing and comfortable. As we saw him get more comfortable, we had a good feeling he was going to be ready.”

Artur, on loan from Brazilian club Sao Paulo FC, has been a bright spot for Crew SC in eight starts, his speed and ground cover an effective complement to captain Wil Trapp in the central midfield. After undergoing surgery to repair his broken left wrist, he missed three games but needed just two days of full training to return to game action.

“I didn’t have a lot of time. I had a lot of intense treatment, but I wanted to get back and help out the team,” Artur said through a team translator Friday. “I didn’t feel comfortable just sitting outside not being able to help my team. When I get back, I wanted to do whatever was possible to help the team.”

Artur talks about coming back from a broken wrist/wrist surgery. #CrewSC pic.twitter.com/QMJIhf3nZg

— Andrew Erickson (@AEricksonCD) May 19, 2017

Saturday’s game against Montreal was not Artur’s best since joining the Crew, Berhalter said, but it was to be expected given the timeframe dealt to Artur prior to his return.

“With the ball, he wasn’t good, he wasn’t sharp and he knows that,” Berhalter said. “That’s something that, again, you’re off-balance, your first game back, you train two training sessions in 17 days.”

Artur said he is still getting the range of motion back in his wrist. His cast, though bulky, is removable and he said he only has to wear it while he sleeps and while he’s on the pitch.

“I don’t know how much it weights, but it looks like it weighs about 10 pounds, so he could be completely off-balance,” Berhalter said of Artur’s cast.

Here's Artur's cast. #CrewSC pic.twitter.com/731uuas1WY

— Andrew Erickson (@AEricksonCD) May 19, 2017

Artur considers himself fortunate to be able to return to the lineup so soon, but continues to work his way back to his peak fitness level.

“It was hard and it’s still hard, but my whole life I’ve had to overcome obstacles and I’m going to keep doing that and I need to get back to my best shape,” Artur said.

On loan

Crew SC announced Friday it has loaned defender Connor Maloney to USL affiliate Pittsburgh on a game-by-game basis.

Maloney, a third-round selection out of Penn State in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, has made one appearance for Crew SC this season, replacing Harrison Afful for the second half of the Crew’s 3-1 loss to Houston on March 11.

According to the team announcement, Crew SC has the right to recall Maloney at any time during the regular season. The club has put together similar arrangements with Pittsburgh for midfielders Marshall Hollingsworth, Abuchi Obinwa and Ben Swanson and center back Lalas Abubakar at various points this season. Swanson was placed on the season-ending injury list last month.

The Crew announced it had loaned midfielder Cristian Martinez to FC Cincinnati on a game-by-game basis earlier this month. Martinez appeared in just one game for FCC prior to returning to Crew SC practice. But FCC announced Martinez trained with the USL club Friday and is available for selection for FCC’s upcoming match against Bethlehem Steel FC.

Stoppage time

Crew midfielder Ethan Finlay exited the practice pitch in street shoes Friday, indicating limited participation.

Berhalter said Finlay was held out of practice Monday and Tuesday after suffering a left knee contusion last Wednesday against Toronto FC.

Finlay was listed as questionable with the left knee contusion in the team’s injury report entering last Saturday’s game against Montreal. He is listed as “questionable” for Sunday’s game against New England with a left thigh strain.

If Finlay is not available Sunday, Kekuta Manneh and Niko Hansen are considered likely candidates to start on the right wing.

@AEricksonCD