Vanguardia: No timeline for Rosario

FOR injured veteran Blackwater forward Troy Rosario, watching helplessly from the bench is doubly painful, knowing he could have done something to help the Bossing in their quest to make the playoffs in the ongoing tournament.

While the Bossing are not yet out of the woods, the team has gone on a free-fall since dropping its last four matches to TNT, Converge, Magnolia and Meralco.

Heading to Friday’s game against Barangay Ginebra, Blackwater occupies the 12th spot with its unenviable 3-7 record.

And it doesn’t help that aside from Rosario, JVee Casio and Baser Amer are also out with their own injury issues, leaving coach Ariel Vanguardia to dig deep into his bench.

The 6-foot-6 Rosario played just five games this conference owing to plantar fasciitis on his foot.

“Better na, pero sumasakit pa din, kada kasi i-try ko i-practice, sumasakit,” Rosario told The Manila Times.

Rosario was averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and close to two assists before being shut down by the foot injury.

Vanguardia said he still “doesn’t know” the possible timeline of Rosario’s return with only three games left in the Bossing’s elimination-round schedule.

However, given his predicament, the 30-year-old former National University Bulldog feels he’s practically done for the conference.

Since there’s nothing much he can do, he intends to work feverishly on his foot rehab and recover well as he now trains his sight at making a comeback in the seasonending Governors’ Cup.

“Focus na lang sa recovery,” Rosario said, in a short response to what he intends to do.

Rosario ended up with Blackwater as part of a multiple player deal involving TNT and NLEX prior to the start of the Commissioner’s Cup. RICHARD DY