MCALLEN – With an arm in a sling, Jesus Sanchez looks on as his Nikki Rowe teammates get ready for a game. Something he won’t be a part of for a while.

“It’s tough man,” said the starting quarterback. “It’s bad news of course. I just want to be with my team. I thought about them. I didn’t want to leave them alone.”

Sanchez fractured a bone in his right arm in Rowe’s second game of the season against Mercedes.

“If I did come back it’d probably be, probably towards the end of the season,” said Sanchez. “Probably like week eight or nine. But it all depends on how rehab and everything goes.”

It’s not the first time he visits doctors mid-season. Last year, Sanchez suffered a knee injury that required surgery. He was able to come back for Rowe’s last game in the playoffs.

“Sitting out of course it’s bad, but I think of it as a learning experience,“ said Sanchez. “Everything happens for a reason. Every time I’m out on the sideline I try to be a good leader and motivate my teammates.”

Sanchez, who is attracting collegiate interest, is willing to play another position on the field once he returns. If not, he’ll be more than willing to assume throwing duties as the team’s quarterback.