The wait continues for a Kai Wagner verdict, but it’s coming — as is the Union’s next game

It’s now been a week since Major League Soccer announced its investigation into Kai Wagner’s alleged use of racist language in the Union’s playoff opener, and nine days since that game.

That is a long time to wait, even though the Union’s game vs. New England isn’t until Wednesday (7:25 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes, Apple TV). But a source with knowledge of the situation told The Inquirer on Monday that a decision will be made and announced before the game arrives.

Wagner has taken part in Union practices as normal all along the way. MLS has allowed that during the fact-finding stage of the investigation, instead of provisionally suspending him. That implies the league is working from a presumption of innocence.

Nor have the Union voluntarily held Wagner out of practice, a decision that has drawn criticism from fans around the league.

In the bigger picture, while Wagner’s participation in practice is certainly symbolic, whether he plays in the game matters a lot more.

» READ MORE: Kai Wagner practices with Union amid MLS investigation into allegations he used a racial slur in a game

Wagner, MLS, the MLS Players Association, the Professional Referees Organization (which assigns game officials), and the Professional Soccer Referees Association (the referees’ union), have all formally declined comment since the league’s initial statement announcing the investigation.

New England interim manager Clint Peay held his regularly scheduled news conference on Monday. He was asked if he was preparing for Wagner to play, and if he thought Wagner should play.

“That’s a determination by the league,” Peay answered. “We’re planning for Philly, and whoever they put on the field, I think we’ll just try to be prepared for and ready for.”

Union midfielder and captain Alejandro Bedoya said after Monday’s practice that the team is preparing for any outcome of the investigation. And he acknowledged that the wait is being felt in the locker room.

“Yeah, sure, there’s uncertainty, right?” he said. “But look, the investigation is still ongoing — I’m not sure where it stands right now. But we’ve been training just like we would any normal game.”

He added that “everybody is looking forward to playing, and whoever is playing in the lineup, in the starting 11, we know it’s always put your best foot forward.”

» READ MORE: Ten days between Union playoff games is a long time, but players say they’re handling it fine

When considering how long the process has taken, the league’s most recent precedent was set in the spring. New York City FC’s Tayvon Gray was accused of using “language that violates league policy” in a May 31 game against FC Cincinnati. Gray was suspended from NYCFC’s next game on June 3, then reinstated on June 8 before the team’s next game on June 11.

Gray’s suspension was announced on the morning of the game he missed, and it was a home game. The Union fly to New England on Tuesday afternoon. So if Wagner is going to be suspended, it would seem practical to settle everything before the Union leave.

In April, the New York Red Bulls’ Dante Vanzeir was suspended for using racist language in a game five days after the incident — the Thursday following a Saturday. Vanzeir confessed to the offense, and on the Tuesday of that week, the Red Bulls announced he was stepping away from the team. Monday marked nine days since Game 1 of the Union-Revolution series, a 3-1 Union win at Subaru Park.

There is no available evidence right now that Wagner has or has not confessed.

» READ MORE: Kai Wagner had a huge game in the Union's playoff opener

While the wait for a verdict continues, so does the wait for Game 2 of the series. There may be disagreement on how to handle Wagner’s case, but there’s near-universal agreement that 10 days between playoff games is too long.

And because there’s a FIFA window for national team games from Nov. 13-21, a team that wins its first-round series in two games — as FC Cincinnati, Los Angeles FC, and Sporting Kansas City have done so far — will wait three weeks for the next round.

Bedoya lent his voice to the chorus on Monday.

“You think about momentum, you think about [the] story, I don’t think it’s ideal for what I think they want to accomplish with the playoffs,” he said. “But we take it in stride. It allows us to get back to full health. I think for New England, they want [star playmaker Carles] Gil to recover properly — we want to play against the best as well.”

» READ MORE: Is it win or bust for the Union? Not when a busting might be coming no matter what