One of the toughest parts of the Fantasy Pro game is deciding how and when to alter your team when the injury bug bites. And it always bites. It would be virtually impossible to go the entire season without any of your first-choice players picking up a knock here or there.

And how do you keep up with how long they will be out of commission? Should you hang on and see if they bounce back in a week or sell and move on? Where can you find comparable replacements? To answer these questions, you'd pretty much need to be an expert. Or you could just read this blog. As my lovely girlfriend often reminds me, she is "book smart." I, on the other hand, am "Fantasy Soccer Smart." Read on and you will be, too.

As was mentioned in last week's blog entry, it's always important to check the league's official injury report, which can be found here or simply by clicking on Injuries from the SoccerFantasyPro.com homepage. It is generally updated twice a week -- once early in the week, and once closer to the weekend matches. Another good way to keep track of an injured player's rehab status is to check his team's Reserve Division results. It's not uncommon for a coach to give an injured man a trial run in a Reserve Division match prior to injecting him into the first team. It's kind of like a Minor League rehab start for a pitcher in baseball. It gets them back into the swing of things and helps them to develop match fitness.

But maybe you're "Fantasy Soccer Smart" also and are already on the ball. Then what? How do you deal with the tougher questions, like whether or not you should wait it out and see if maybe -- just maybe -- your favorite player can overcome his injury in time for the next week's game? My advice here, and it's advice I'd do well to heed on my own a bit more frequently, is to not take any chances. If you can find a similar type player in the same price range that is basically a lock to start, trade for him. If your injured man loads up on the magic spray and gets back on the field, just get a look at him over the weekend and see if you think he's really over that injury. If he is, you can always re-acquire him the next week.

Now let's say you're a big fan of a player who is out on a long injury layoff. How do you decide when the time is right to put him on your roster? Take Taylor Twellman, for example. The Revolution striker made his first appearance of the season Sunday, helping New England to a road win against Chivas USA. It's great that he came back and even better that he stepped right in with a game-winning goal, but I wouldn't have put him in my team prior to seeing him play at least once. And don't forget that he wasn't exactly coasting through this game; on several occasions Twellman was writhing on the ground in pain, and he was nearly substituted for an ankle injury he picked up in the second half. Personally, that's not the kind of risk I'd want to take heading into next week.

Other factors to consider are the injured player's age, his injury history, and the team's schedule. Claudio Reyna didn't even suit up for the Red Bulls last weekend. Given his age and history of being softer than a 10-year-old ballerina, I wouldn't take him even if he were free. No matter what his injury is, he's always slow to recover. Also, younger players will recuperate faster; the human body is just more resilient when it's younger, making it easy to shake off slight strains and sprains. And take a look at when the injured player's team is next playing. If he picked up a knock in training Monday and the team is playing Thursday, you may want to think even harder about making a change.

Keeping all these things in mind will help you accumulate more points. As I've said before, only those players on the field can earn points for you. Taking up a spot on your team with an injured player just isn't Smart -- Book or Fantasy Soccer.

WOW (Worst of the Week Award) -- It really should go to D.C. United again, as the Eastern Conference favorites are still looking like absolute crap. But thankfully Danleigh Borman of the New York Red Bulls scored his first MLS goal, providing us with about the most ridiculous looking celebration imaginable. Even commentator Shep Messing knew it was ugly, though there's no way Borman "lost his balance" while trying to do a flip. He knew what he was doing, which makes it even worse. See for yourself here.