photo by Peter G. Aiken/USA Today Sports

By MICHAEL PENG

Sporting Kansas City will be without one of its key cogs for at least 10 weeks.

The club announced Thursday that midfielder Roger Espinoza suffered a left sesamoid fracture during its 1-1 draw against the Houston Dynamo last Saturday, and is expected to be sidelined for over two months while recovering from the injury.

“It’s obviously disappointing news but I’m going to continue to work with our athletic training staff to come back healthy for the club’s playoff run,” Espinoza said in a statement. “All I can do now is focus on my rehab and be the best teammate that I can be.”

The injury occurred in the waning minutes of the contest when the Dynamo’s Nathan Sturgis committed a hard tackle on Espinoza. Sturgis was immediately sent off for his harsh challenge.

In his first year back from a two-year stint with England’s Wigan Athletic, the 28-year-old Espinoza has appeared in 20 matches for Kansas City across all competitions. In league play, the Honduran international has recorded one goal and four assists through 17 matches.

While the injury is a blow to Sporting KC, the club does have options to replace Espinoza. Defensive midfielder Amobi Okugo, who Kansas City recently traded for, seems like the most likely candidate to step into the starting lineup given that he is a similar type of player who also has plenty of experience in MLS.

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What do you think about Espinoza being out for 10 weeks? How big of a loss is this for Sporting KC? Think Okugo will start in Espinoza’s place?

Share your thoughts below.