Penn State gymnast Josh Borromeo has no problem showing his emotion.

Whether the team captain is encouraging his teammates during meets or bringing his talkative nature before practice, Borromeo's enthusiasm never seems to rest. Although the senior encouraged every gymnast by name at the Nittany Lions' first meet against Army, his activity was still somewhat controlled.

The vocal leader of the Lions has been recovering from a bicep injury which Penn State coach Randy Jepson acknowledged the senior incurred during practice on the still rings shortly after Christmas.

"We're just going to make sure that he's ready," Jepson said. "We want him to be 100 percent when he gets back in."

Assistant coach Kevin Tan added there is no timetable for the senior's return, but rather it is a day-by-day process. Borromeo is worried if he rushes to come back from the injury, his muscle strain may worsen.

This isn't the first time Borromeo has been injured. During his freshman year, the team captain "tweaked" his bicep muscle.

"I pushed it a little bit too hard, too fast and I ended up partially tearing it," Borromeo said. "So this time around, a little bit older, a little bit wiser, I'm taking it easy and letting it recover fully."

Borromeo has been able to practice on parallel bars with some discomfort, but his focus is to make the bicep strong enough to deal with pressure created on still ring routines.

His ability on the still rings would be a vital asset to an inexperienced team. According to Jepson, Borromeo has an opportunity to be an All-American in the still rings event. With Borromeo out, there are now two seniors in the Penn State lineup, which lost half its routines to graduation.

Borromeo is still talkative before practice. Although he is injured, the senior still manages to give teammates support and even led in the "we are" chants with fans at the Army meet.

"It's a tough spot for him to be in," Tan said. "He's the kind of guy who wants to get out there and wants to compete for Penn State."

Regardless of the injury, Borromeo's teammate Noam Shaham admitted he is not worried about his counterpart's injury. Shaham knows Borromeo will eventually make it back into the lineup.

In order for the Lions to compete against teams such as Oklahoma and Ohio State, Borromeo's spark on the still rings may be needed.

"It might be good for him to take the time," Shaham said, "so he can peak toward more important parts of the season."