Crystal Dunn is ready to return to the USWNT, head coach Vlakto Andonovski said. (USA TODAY Photo)

By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

She wasn’t on the roster for the U.S. women’s national team’s pair of friendlies against Nigeria, but Crystal Dunn has been looking good while training with the squad.

The Rockville Centre, N.Y. native has been on maternity leave from the Portland Thorns after giving birth to her first child, Marcel, in May.

“She has been training very well, and when I say very well,” USWNT head coach Vlatko Andovoski said during a media conference call. “I think she she’s ready to play. In my mind she’s ready to play. We don’t know exactly how many minutes but I would not be surprised if we see her on the field.

“Obviously there will be something that the Portland Thorns [need to determine] to see if she is going get into minutes or not, but she looks great. She trained very well with a and as nominal as ready as fit as intense as she has always been. She’s as enthusiastic as always and energetic and looking forward to to see her in the next camps.”

Dunn, who has played at left back for the national side the last severely years, has made 123 international appearances, scoring 24 goals.

Andonovski also gave update on two other players who are inactive at the moment – midfielders Sam Mewis and Catarina Macario.

Mewis, who was battling a knee injury, was placed on the season-ending injury list by her National Women’s Soccer League team, the Kansas City Current, on Aug. 6.

“We had a chance to see Sam in Kansas City,” Andonovski said. “We were at her facility [that] she was hosting us at the KC Current facility. She’s doing great going through recovery period. Obviously, her recovery is taking a little bit longer than we expected but as of right now we’ll just let Sam take her time and get healthy.”

Macario, who plays for Lyon in France, suffered a torn left ACL in June.

“She’ in line with with her timeline,” Andonovski said. “Pretty soon Cat is going go to a special place. I think it’s in Qatar for five weeks where she can do some new recovery or physical therapy treatments. Hopefully coming out of that she will be closer to getting back on the field but that will hopefully that will expedite for recovery.”

The USA defeated Nigeria in Kansas City, Kansas on Saturday and will host the African side at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.