Edu set to return to action; Califf to return to MLS

The FIFA World Cup 2010 draw is just a few hours away and I am starting to get really excited to see who the U.S. national team is going to be grouped with. This is the moment that the U.S. team has been waiting for since they crashed out of the last World Cup against Ghana. So tune in to ESPN2 at noon for the three, yes three, hour World Cup draw spectacular live from Johannesburg.

But this post is about two players who are on the outside of the current projected 23 roster spots and recent news that could impact their chances of making the squad.

Maurice Edu has recently returned to training and is targeting a January 3rd return against city rival Celtic in the Old Firm. Edu will need to get on the field as quickly as possible for Rangers to earn a spot on the World Cup roster since he has fallen behind Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark and probably Jermaine Jones in the defensive midfield pecking order.

Elsewhere, Danny Califf is rumored to be on his way back to MLS from Denmark and could end up playing for the Philadelphia Union. Califf, like Edu, has fallen behind a number of players at his position and will need to show good form immediately to get back into the good graces of Lord Bob of Bradleytown. With the MLS season not starting until April, Califf won't have much time to impress the coaching staff but coming back to MLS will get him plenty of looks.

I doubt we'll see either Edu or Califf on the final roster but with the rash of injuries that have hit the U.S. player pool lately it's always good to have as many options as possible.