BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Second-year Chicago Fire midfielder Baggio Husidic remembers where he was for the Fire's 2009 home opener.

"Last year I wasn't even on the bench. I was in the stands," Husidic said. "I'm a lot more excited than last year."

The Libertyville High School grad and former University of Illinois-Chicago standout could see extensive playing time this Saturday when the Fire host the San Jose Earthquakes at Toyota Park. He might even crack the starting lineup after coming off the bench the past two matches.

"That's what I'm hoping for every day," Husidic said. "I'm training hard and trying to get that chance and working hard to get more playing time. I can see it happening in the future."

There are a couple of setbacks in the Fire's midfield right now. John Thorrington remains out of the lineup with a quad injury and is not expected to be ready Saturday. And defensive midfielder Logan Pause has an injured knee, Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos said.

"Baggio's a good player," De los Cobos said. "He's not starting at this moment because Pete [Lowry] and Logan are [doing] good work. But it's possible that he will start if Logan is not ready to play. Maybe Baggio is the best option that we have."

Tapalovic on trial: Speaking of the midfield, the Fire are looking at defensive midfielder Filip Tapalovic this week on a trial basis. "The directors told me to watch him," De los Cobos told MLSSoccer.com. "We will have him for all the week, and after that we [will make] our conclusions."