The Seattle Sounders will be without one of their top players as they seek victory in their CONCACAF Champion League quarterfinal clash with Mexican giants Chivas Guadalajara on Wednesday night.
The Seattle Times reported on Wednesday morning that a midfoot sprain has sidelined playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro, forcing the Uruguayan star to remain in Washington State as his team visits Estadio Akron for the decisive second leg of the series.
Described as an injury “to a tendon between the metatarsal bones in Lodeiro’s foot,” the problem is not as severe as initally feared and “is not expected to be long term.” But it will keep the midfield metronome out of the CCL match and probably Sunday’s visit to FC Dallas, too (5 pm ET | MLS LIVE).
“We thought it might have been a stress fracture,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer told the Times’ Geoff Baker in Guadalajara. “But we had a bone scan and found out that wasn’t it. But it’s still inflamed enough that he didn’t make the trip.”
Seattle are defending a 1-0 aggregate lead from their first-leg victory at CenturyLink Field as they seek to become the third MLS team to reach this year’s CCL semifinals.
