One of Major League Soccer’s top wingbacks will be on the shelf for at least one month.
The Columbus Crew announced on Tuesday that Harrison Afful suffered a fractured jaw in their 2-0 win over Atlanta United last Saturday. Afful will be re-evaluated in four-to-five weeks which could see Hector Jimenez slide to right-back in his absence.
“Harry has a fractured jaw. As you know with fractured jaws, they wire your jaw shut, so they’ll have his jaw wired shut for a period of four to five weeks, and then from there, it’ll be a matter of his fitness and nutrition,” Crew SC head coach Caleb Porter said.
“You never like to lose a quality player like him from your team, but that’s why we have a squad and it opens up an opportunity for Hector [Jimenez] and we are very confident in Hector and comfortable with him, so we’ll have to manager this four to five weeks and then several weeks after that without Harry.”
The 32-year-old had made 100 appearances for the Crew since joining in 2015. He’s also won 80 caps with the Ghanaian National Team.
SKC adds defender Nico Hasler
Sporting KC added an experienced MLS defender to the roster on Tuesday.
The club announced they’ve signed Nicolas Hasler for the remainder of the 2019 MLS season. Hasler, 27, will occupy an international roster spot and recently spent time with the Chicago Fire last season.
Hasler has made a combined 39 MLS appearances with Toronto FC and Chicago, after joining from his native Liechtenstein. He played with FC Vaduz for the first eight years of his professional career, winning six major trophies with the club.
His arrival comes a day after 19-year-old fullback Jaylin Lindsey was ruled out for 4-5 months. SKC has had to deal with several injuries this season with Erik Hurtado, Jimmy Medranda, and Daniel Salloi also on the injured list.
Hasler lifted the 2017 MLS Cup with Toronto FC while also helping the club win the Canadian Championship and Supporters Shield.
Joseph Mora expected to return to training in four weeks
Joseph Mora is expected to return to D.C. United training in four weeks.
The club announced Tuesday that Mora successful underwent surgery to repair a broken jaw. Mora also suffered a concussion in Sunday’s 2-1 win at Orlando City, which saw him subbed off before halftime.
Update on our man, @JosephMoraCR! 🖤❤️#DCU pic.twitter.com/rb6JmWJhiJ
— D.C. United (@dcunited) April 2, 2019
Mora, 26, has made 34 appearances for the club since joining from Saprissa in 2018. With his injury, Chris McCann is the likely replacement for Mora in Ben Olsen’s starting XI plans.
Eastern Conference leaders D.C. United take on MLS leaders LAFC this weekend in the marquee matchup of Matchday 6.
Former Toronto FC defender Jason Hernandez retires, joins TFC front office
After a 14-year Major League Soccer career, Jason Hernandez is hanging up his playing boots.
The veteran defender announced his decision on Tuesday and will join Toronto FC’s front office as first manager of player engagement. Hernandez’s role will see him create and launch a alumni program with past players and re-integrating them into TFC. He will also assist with other duties as well as further integration between the first team, TFC II, and the club’s academy.
“I want to thank all the players, staff, and supporters here at Toronto FC for making my time at the club an incredibly memorable one. I consider myself very fortunate to be involved with an organization that is pushing the standard for a top-class product on and off the field,” Hernandez said.
“I am excited to continue in the pursuit of trophies, no longer as a player, but as a member of the front office team. I want to thank Bill, Ali, and Greg for the opportunity to continue working with Toronto FC under their leadership and I look forward to contributing to the club in every way possible.”
In his MLS career, Hernandez made over 300 professional appearances between time with the MetroStars, Chivas USA, San Jose Earthquakes, NYCFC, and Toronto FC. Hernandez lifted one MLS Cup, two Supporters Shields, and two Canadian Championships during his lengthy career.
He also won three caps with the Puerto Rico Men’s National Team.