The rise of Maurice Edu to National Team prominence took a hit today, as the midfielder will remain in Glasgow to receive further evaluation on the knee he injured in Rangers' final league match last weekend.

Edu has yet to receive a significant run out for the US, and it appeared that his big chance was approaching with his rapid rise to Scottish league stardom. It's unclear if Edu would have figured in either of the Americans upcoming qualifiers, but his presence would have added depth and an athletic contributor to the midfield stable.

I'm extremely disappointed with this news, as I was excited to see what an in-form and confident Edu could do for the Nats. Edu and Michael Bradley together in the central midfield is a appealing proposition for me, and a combination that might serve the team well in hostile environments.

I'm convinced that Bob Bradley will err on the side of caution against Costa Rica, meaning that Michael Bradley will be paired with Pablo Mastroeni again (I'd rather see Torres, but that's another post). While Mastroeni's veteran presence is an asset to be exploited, the tandem lends little to the attack. Although Edu is in no way an offensive star, his greater box-to-box ability might add a new element to the team without sacrificing too much defensively.

Regardless of the tactics, Edu's absence is disheartening. He has yet to be ruled out of Saturday's match against Honduras in Chicago, though I doubt we'll see see him there either.