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United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann sounded hopeful when speaking to the status of injured striker Jozy Altidore, who was able to run during the team's training session for the third consecutive day.
"We are very optimistic to have him to be a part of the Belgium game," Klinsmann said Friday, according to Yahoo! Sports. "Every day is a big step forward."
Altidore was injured in the US team's opening match against Ghana June 14, when he went down in the 21st minuted with a strained hamstring.
US Soccer spokesman Michael Kammarman said Friday Altidore's status remains uncertain.
Midfielder Jermaine Jones, on the other hand, will be available to play Tuesday against Belgium in the Round of 16 despite fracturing his nose against Germany Thursday.
Jones collided with teammate Alejandro Bedoya in the second half of US's 1-0 loss to Germany.
"Jermaine Jones does have a broken nose," Kammarman said, according to ESPNFC.com. "He will not wear a mask for Tuesday's game [against Belgium]. He looks unaffected -- you can't even see any discolorations. It appears to be a minor fracture. He's fine, he's available to play."
Jones lay on the field for a couple minutes following the collision and later admitted he didn't remember the play. Both Jones and Bedoya were tested for concussions multiple times, Kammarman said, and there is no evidence of one in either player.
