Larin, Buchanan leave Canada men's soccer team with injuries
Head coach Jesse Marsch has called up two MLS forwards as replacements.
MONTREAL · Canada will be without two key attackers for its final match of the international window after injuries forced striker Cyle Larin and winger Tajon Buchanan to leave camp. Canada Soccer announced on Monday that Larin has returned to his club, Southampton, due to back irritation. Buchanan, who was hurt during Canada's 2-0 win over Peru in Montreal, has gone back to Villareal in Spain's La Liga. Head coach Jesse Marsch has replaced them by calling up MLS forwards Marcus Caldeira from Minnesota United and Theo Corbeanu from Toronto FC. The team faces the United States in a friendly on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn.
Marsch provided details on both injuries during a press conference. He said the decision on Larin, a 31-year-old from Brampton, Ont., was precautionary. "Cyle's back, it was OK, but we just felt like getting him back to Southampton and making sure that he's ready to perform over the next weeks was important for him," Marsch said. Larin had featured in Canada's previous match, a 1-0 victory over Chile on Sept. 26. Buchanan's issue arose from a tackle in the Peru game that Marsch felt could have been a red card. "On the play where Tajon got dragged down... it just tweaked his hamstring a little bit," the coach explained.
Marsch indicated Buchanan's injury, while not severe, was enough to rule him out of the upcoming contest. "And it wasn't bad, but it was bad enough where we probably weren't going to play in (Canada's game Tuesday.)," he said. Both players will now be assessed further by the medical staff at their respective club teams. The Canadian squad will now turn its focus to the match against its continental rival to close out this period of international fixtures.
With files from The Canadian Press, CFJC Today Kamloops and Sportsnet