Alexander Aravena overcomes injury, could return today with Portland Timbers against San Jose Earthquakes

Nine games without setting foot on the field is a long time for any forward still trying to earn a regular spot. That's exactly what Alexander Aravena has been going through since a hip injury sidelined him on July 26. But it looks like the ordeal is about to end.

The Chilean, who joined Portland Timbers from Gremio in Porto Alegre, still hasn't managed to lock down a regular role with the MLS club. Still, the news coming out of the United States is encouraging: Aravena has recovered from the injury and could be in contention, even if just off the bench, for tonight's match against San Jose Earthquakes, kicking off at 11:30 p.m. with Portland on the road.

That's no small detail for "El Monito," as he's known from his days at Universidad Catolica, the club where he came up as a player. His time in MLS had already been inconsistent even before the injury: since arriving in February of this year, he's made 15 appearances with just four starts. His only goal so far came in a match to remember, a 5-1 rout of Seattle Sounders on July 16, right before the injury ruled him out.

The context doesn't help much either. Portland is going through a rough stretch in the standings and currently sits 18th in MLS (out of 30 teams), with 32 points. It's a squad that needs results, and who knows, Aravena's return could give the team another attacking option to try to turn things around.

It remains to be seen whether the coach decides to risk him in the starting lineup or prefers to ease him in carefully off the bench, given how long he's been out of action. What's certain is that after nearly two months away from the field, the Chilean forward is back in the conversation for the team, right at a moment when Portland needs fresh options to climb the table.