INTERVIEWS: Ryan Nelsen | Nick Hagglund | Ashtone Morgan | Steven Caldwell

TORONTO - It’s the dog days of summer for Toronto FC, who’s early season bye weeks have caught up with them in a busy month of July that features seven regular season matches and plenty of midweek encounters wedged in between the weekend fixtures.

That means lots of travel, training and focus for Toronto, but stoic in their resolve, the team’s captain Steven Caldwell says his side will soldier on despite the tough schedule ahead.

“We don’t feel tired,” Caldwell told reporters at training Tuesday. “You obviously feel a little bit worse after a defeat, psychologically. It’s about getting back out there and getting moving again, getting your head back and focusing on the job at hand, which is obviously a very tough game on Saturday against Houston.”

Toronto FC will be taking on the Houston Dynamo at BMO Field on Saturday, before hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday and then travelling to Houston for the away leg of the series. With a few games in hand, the team will be optimistic about their chances against the struggling Texan side, though they won’t be taking their opponents lightly.

Caldwell pointed to last year’s fixtures as an example that the Dynamo are not to be underestimated, saying that Houston always “gives us really tough games.” The two teams split points on both occasions in 2013, finishing 1-1 at BMO Field and 0-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium.

“In any league, especially the MLS, there’s lots of parity between all the teams,” Caldwell explained. “We know that they’re not going to be an easy team. We then go there the next Saturday so we play them in quick succession; it will be a nice little series, two tough games with Vancouver wedged in between them. It’s a real important time for us to kick on and creep up a couple places.”

Head coach Ryan Nelsen said he doesn’t really look at the table, choosing to focus more on the performances; rookie defender Nick Hagglund has one eye on the standings, though, and stressed the importance of getting “three points with no one getting any other points,” an opportunity that “allows us to jump up the table immediately.”

But, he’ll have to wait before getting back into action with the club, after picking up a red card in his last match. It means Doneil Henry will once again start alongside Caldwell, something the captain said is not a problem at all.

“I thoroughly enjoying playing with both the young guys,” Caldwell said. “Both are outstanding talents so I’m excited to be playing with Doneil.”

Toronto FC may also be without Brazilian Designated Player Gilberto, as well, as he continues to recover from a hip flexor injury.

“Unfortunately that’s life at this level,” Nelsen said, of his striker’s injury. “At the moment he’s not with the guys, but he’s back out running, back out with the fitness guys. Hopefully as this week progresses he’ll get closer and closer.”