Andre Franco back on the pitch after injury: "I'm ready for more minutes"

Chicago Fire midfielder Andre Franco has stressed he is "ready for more minutes" after returning to the pitch following a lengthy injury.

The 28-year-old came off the bench in Chicago's 4-2 win over Colorado Rapids, his first appearance since suffering a serious knee injury.

Fourth in the Eastern Conference, Chicago Fire host Columbus Crew on Decision Day. With a first-round play-off tie against Charlotte FC already confirmed, Chicago are aiming to protect their seeding advantage in the final-round fixture.

Franco, who hopes to play more minutes ahead of the play-off series, said of his return:

"It was really enjoyable and full of emotion. The moment I stepped onto the pitch, everything went through my mind; it was a wonderful feeling. At the same time I was a little bittersweet because I wanted to play more, but that's the nature of football. At the end of the day, being able to step back onto the pitch was a great day for me. Now it's time to get fully fit and gradually play more and more minutes."

Columbus Crew, meanwhile, secured their play-off place with a 3-0 win over D.C. United in their last league match. Eighth-placed Crew can still finish the regular season in the top seven if they beat Chicago and FC Cincinnati drop points against leaders Nashville SC.

Columbus interim head coach Courtois said: "There is a solid foundation here. This is a real team. The cohesion and chemistry on the pitch show that. Everyone has their own qualities, but the most important thing is that we can put a clear team identity on the pitch."

Players to watch

Chicago Fire: Robert Lewandowski Robert Lewandowski ended an eight-match goal drought with his strike at Colorado. It was the first time the experienced star had scored off the bench in MLS; during his career in the German and Spanish leagues he had netted 25 goals in 57 appearances as a substitute.

Columbus Crew: Dylan Chambost Dylan Chambost, who starred with two assists in Columbus's win over D.C. United, reached his fifth assist in the last three regular-season matches. Chambost had managed a total of four assists in the first 26 matches of the season.

Pre-match notes

Chicago Fire's 55 points this season is the club's highest tally since the 2012 season, when they collected 57. A win in this match would give the Fire the chance to reach a club-record points total.

Columbus, by contrast, won their last five matches in a row on the way to securing their play-off place, taking victory in seven of their last eight regular-season fixtures. In doing so, the Crew also equalled the club record for their longest winning run.

Columbus have lost only twice in the 19 competitive meetings played since May 2018, but Chicago Fire have managed to go unbeaten in the last two (1W, 1D).