Montero unlikely to play

SEATTLE — Forward Fredy Montero likely will miss a second straight game, Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said Thursday.

The hope heading into the week was that Montero, who underwent surgery last week to repair a fractured wrist, would be able to return for Saturday’s home game against Chicago, but Montero met with the surgeon Wednesday, and that scenario is now unlikely, Schmid said.

“The chance of him playing on Saturday is unlikely at this stage because there is still some swelling in there,” Schmid said. “They want to make sure that there is still no infection in the wound. He’s able to do some light stuff, and we had him out here doing a little bit of stuff before, but right now unless there is a miraculous change tomorrow, it doesn’t look likely.”

With Montero, the franchise’s leading scorer over the past two seasons, out last week, Seattle used midfielder Mauro Rosales at forward along with regular starter O’Brian White. Rosales had an assist as Seattle scored twice, doubling its goal total from its first three Major League Soccer games of the season.

Schmid said nothing was decided yet, but that Rosales could make his second start at forward.

“I thought in the first half last week, offensively we played all right, but we are still looking at possibilities and maybe some lineup changes,” Schmid said. “Overall, offensively I thought we did all right and I thought Rosales had a good 45 minutes, for sure.”

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.