Andre Blake returns, Cavan Sullivan enters for the Union ahead of a battle with New England

Andre Blake is back.

The three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year is scheduled to return against the New England Revolution on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, MLS Season Pass). The news, announced by manager Jim Curtin in a news conference on Tuesday, has Blake set to be back under the bright lights at Subaru Park after missing 14 games while rehabbing a knee injury.

“You can feel a little more of a buzz, a little more energy in training, a familiar voice behind them, and that gives confidence,” Curtin said about Blake’s return. “Andre is the best that we have in this league at what he does. … To get him back, I think the confidence that gives not only the center backs, but the whole group, that you’re never out of the game, is really valuable.”

» READ MORE: Union goalkeeper Andre Blake had surgery to clean up his injured knee

Blake has been bruised and battered for the better portion of the 2024 campaign. He missed a handful of games early in the season with a groin strain, and a concussion kept him out of a contest against Nashville in April. The Jamaican international had surgery on his meniscus at the end of May and hasn’t appeared since April 30 against Charlotte, marking the longest spell he’s ever endured on the sidelines.

“This is new for me,” Blake said on Tuesday. “It’s never been this long, not even in the offseason. But it comes with the game, just another hurdle for me to overcome. It’s really tough, but I’m going to keep fighting. I’m gonna give it my best and just ease myself back in.”

Blake returned to first-team training last week and now appears ready for game action against the Revs after logging several full sessions.

“[It’s] always good to be on the pitch,” Blake said. “It’s gonna take some time to really work myself back in, but steady progress.”

The Union, and especially their defense, are desperate to have him back. The team won one of the 14 matches Blake missed — a 3-0 victory over the Revs on May 18 — and haven’t picked up three points since that game. They conceded 27 goals in that stretch, one more than they allowed during the entirety of their 2022 league season.

Curtin knows how much confidence his back line gains from having Blake behind it. He called his keeper a “leader by example on the field,” and while he expects the whole team to benefit from the 33-year-old’s presence, Curtin mentioned center backs Jack Elliott and Jakob Glesnes as players who will be lifted.

“[Andre] is one of the best at navigating traffic and just coming out and catching a ball clean, and the danger’s gone,” Curtin said. “ … I think you’ll see both Jack and Jakob’s game take a step forward.”

As for Blake himself, he knows the transition won’t be easy. Whether or not the Union keep a clean sheet, and no matter how many acrobatic saves he makes, Blake’s readjustment to the limelight will take a lot longer than the 90 minutes he plays Wednesday night.

“It’s going to be a lot mentally,” Blake said. “Whenever you get into the game, just let the game come to you and just try to relax and work your way back in.”

Cavan Sullivan, the team’s 14-year-old sensation will have a place in the 20-man match-day squad for the first time in his career, Curtin said on Tuesday. Sullivan had been knocking on the door with impressive displays in training and a goal for Philadelphia Union II. Now, two months after signing the most lucrative hometown contract in MLS history, he could become the league’s youngest-ever debutant.

“Tomorrow, [Sullivan] will be in the 20 because he’s earned that,” Curtin said about the midfielder. “ … He’ll get that opportunity now and the next step is working hard to get your first minutes. Sometimes that might be one minute, that might be 15 minutes, that might be 90 minutes, but you have to earn it. … We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”

Additionally, Curtin also revealed positive updates about José Martinez and Jesús Bueno.

Martinez, who missed the Union’s last seven games while playing for Venezuela at Copa América, trained in full this week and will be available for selection against New England. Martinez played every minute of La Vinotinto’s run in Copa América, which ended in the quarterfinals against Canada.

Bueno was last seen limping off the pitch in the second half of the Union’s 2-1 loss to Toronto FC on Saturday. While Curtin says he is dealing with a “pretty serious ankle injury,” the midfielder is good to go.

» READ MORE: Union give away a pair of late goals in a 2-1 road loss to Toronto FC

“[Bueno] played through pain, got to a point in the game where he had to come out, but he’s jumped back into training and still will be available for selection,” Curtin said.

Curtin also pointed out that although the bolstering of the squad is a step in the right direction, it’s going to take more than personnel to get off the struggle bus.

“That does not guarantee that tomorrow is going to go perfect, right? Because there’s still going to be rust, there’s still going to be guys that haven’t played together in a while,” Curtin said. “ … But to get these guys back I think is important to the whole group for that confidence.”

» READ MORE: Union snap losing streak in scoreless draw with New York Red Bulls overshadowed by fan protests

Curtin experimented with a three-center back approach in the Union’s last two games, playing a trio of Elliott, Glesnes, and Damion Lowe. The Union kept a clean sheet against the New York Red Bulls, but they scored only one goal between the two matches and did not win either. On Wednesday, Curtin says, the team will get “back to basics,” as far as the formation and personnel are concerned.

That suggests the traditional 4-1-2-1-2 setup will return, with Elliott and Glesnes manning the center of the defense. The Revs have scored the fewest goals in MLS (21), so there’s no better opportunity for a clean sheet.

New England is the only team the Union have managed to beat in their last 17 matches. The lopsided three-goal win in May put them 10 points clear of the Revs at the time, but New England has won five of its last eight games and since overtaken the last-place Union in the Eastern Conference standings.

Curtin had much praise for Wednesday’s opponent, whom he calls “hungry for points” and noted is injury-ridden. The Revs are down winger Carles Gil and midfielder Tomás Chancalay — two of their top five scorers from last season — among others.

“They’re missing some talent for sure … but you certainly see a group that is dangerous,” Curtin said. “They have great attackers from the outside … they have really good wingers that are comfortable coming inside. So it’s a team that has some real weapons. We have to be organized. We’ve had some tough games against them in the past, and it’ll be a really tough match.”

A win at long last would take the Union over New England and out of last place in the East, where, despite their struggles, a mere five points separates them from the playoffs. Every game is vital for Curtin’s men, who are seeking a first home victory since March 30.