The mystery of Jose Adolfo gets a break - for now

As the Timbers head into the second week of training, one of the biggest question's is "Just what is happening with Jose Adolfo Valencia?"

Our newest designated player has been missing practice since January 25th.

Valencia is the first young player signed under the new Designated Player rules in which a player 20 or younger only costs the salary cap $150k instead of the usual $355k. The signing of the 20-year-old forward from Colombia generated a ton of excitement and his absence has led to all sorts of speculation.

He only made one appearance for practice, the first day.  

He appeared sluggish and exhausted toward the end of that session.  

The following day he was no longer present on the pitch.

At first, the Timbers front office would make no comment on what was going on, saying only that he was undergoing additional tests. It took several days for them to even admit that there were any red flags. As of yet, additional information has not been released but it seems that results lie in a blood test.

There has been a wealth of other speculations presented by Timbers fans. Many things have been brought to the table, from heart problems to diabetes. That Jose Adolfo had diabetes, in particular, seems very viable, as one of the symptoms of it can be increased fatigue as a result of cells being deprived of sugar.

Owner Merritt Paulson has said that any further detail will not be available until Wednesday at the earliest. He did go on to say, however, that he is optimistic that Valencia will still be a part of the Timbers future. It will be interesting to see what this future will be like with the acquisition of Portland's third DP, Kris Boyd.

Kris Boyd is the highest goal scorer in the history of the Scottish Premier league, with 164 goals to his name in 296 appearances. That's scoring better than one goal in every two appearances, a feat that recently departed Kenny Cooper was not able to come close to achieving.

The recent signing of Boyd has led to the Timbers having six forwards on their preseason roster, in addition to Darlington Nagbe possessing the ability to play both forward and midfield.  If further complications arise with Valencia and the Timbers front office decides not to keep him, there are a number of pairings that could work very well. It seems likely Boyd and Jorge Perlaza would work very well together.

However, the quickness and ability to dribble that Valencia has displayed while in good health in Columbia could become very handy in getting the ball to Boyd. Boyd, while not as quick as the majority of the Timbers, seems to excel at finding the right place to be at the right time. As long as Valencia can pass well enough to find the 6-foot-1 Scotsman, there could be some very exciting moments.

The two of them could make quite the duo if Valencia passes his tests - a duo that fans may still get to see play Feb. 7th, when the team begins its preseason action against Los Angeles.