Here are some Red Bull notes, most of them injury-related. Naturally. What else from the only team I’ve seen more banged-up than the Mets.

Forward Mac Kandji was (finally) back practicing, and Jamaican winger Dane Richards was back from national team duty. Fullback Carlos Johnson is a couple weeks away, and a source tells me centerback Carlos Mendes is leaning toward season-ending hip surgery. And if Veljko Paunovic signs, their shopping is done.

“It’s good to see (Kandji) back. He looked a little rusty. I think it’s good to have him there,” Juan Carlos Osorio said. “I think he still needs to improve his finishing; but he looks healthy and able to run and able to run, get behind and going 1 v 1 against defenders and that’s very good.”

(And by the way, I’ve officially joined 2009. I’m finally on Twitter.) Johnson is at least running on that broken foot, and seems to still be targeting the CONCACAF Champions League as his return.

“Unfortunately Carlos is still a way, about two or three weeks. I think he’s recovering quite well,” Osorio said. “From what I know of other players at a top level who (had) similar injuries, they take a while to heal. And what we don’t want is to push Carlos and it proves to be too soon and he re-injures himself. We’ve taken all of the time and the process is going well. It’s good to see him running, even outside of the field. It’s good; it’s a positive sign.”

*** The time off seems to have done wonders for Juan Pablo Angel’s back. The striker looked spry in practice, and actually worked quite well with trialist Veljko Paunovic.

“I think (Paunovic) looks good in and around the box. He’s a good finisher, he likes to score goals, he’s capable of scoring goals, and good technically,” said Osorio, who’ll discuss the Serb’s trial with Jeff Agoos and make a decision tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.

“We’re going to talk about him in the next few days. There are different things we need to consider here, but I have to say he has done well. He’s a good player. That’s the reason why he has played at the top level in Spain.”

*** It seems like the Red Bulls’ shopping is done. They’re not likely to add anybody except possibly Paunovic. At 10 a.m. tomorrow, the U.S. Soccer Federation can officially request an ITC for Krupnik, the Red Bulls’ newly-signed fullback. If it comes through in timely fashion, the 29-year-old might actually be in the 18 for Thursday’s tilt against the Galaxy.

“Yes. He is in contention. I think we tried a few different things today. We know he was doing preseason (in Israel), and played plenty of games last season there. So I think he will contribute for the team,” said Osorio, who tried several cenrerback combinations at practice today.

He added that he viewed Krupnik’s best position as a centerback in a four-man backline, but that while he didn’t see him as a fullback he felt he could certainly play as a right back in a three-man back line.

“That’s a good question. Probably in the back three he could play on the right. I could see that. But I would say his more natural position is centerback in the back four,” said Osorio, who’d expressed Monday he wanted to see how Krupnik handled the aerial game. Today he said the newcomer acquitted himself just fine in the air.

“I think he’s strong. He’s good on tackles and challenges. He’s decent in the air, and I think he has a positive influence in training. Yes we did (see what we needed to)….although the big test will be when we play in the league against teams that prefer that direct type of football. But I think he will be very competitive in the air.”

*** At this point, while Krupnik is done, Obster is essentially done as well. He secured his release from Red Bull Austria, and is signing for New York.

“When we were there in preseason _ not this year but the year before _ he looked very comfortable on the ball, good service good in 1 v1 situations; so I think he will be good,” Osorio said of Obster, who needs an ITC but also a P-1 visa as well. His appointment is July 23 in Vienna.

“We’ve got pretty much everything done with Ernst. We’ve pretty much finalized the deal with him,” said sporting director Jeff Agoos. “We are trying to expetite that and get him there as soon as possible. We’re hoping to get him here as soon as we can.”

If they have problems getting an ITC from their sister club, you know this just isn’t the Red Bulls’ year. Anyway, what do you make of all this news? Figure these additions are all upgrades? Krupnik>Andrew Boyens? Obster>Khano Smith? OK, Paunovic would never replace John Wolyniec in the hearts of Metro faithful, but share your thoughts…..