New England Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph will miss Saturday's match in Chicago against the Fire, hampering Steve Nicol's defensive scheme in the middle of the park.
Joseph picked up a caution in Monday's 1-1 draw against Los Angeles, earning an automatic one-match suspension for his troubles.
Central midfielder Andy Dorman, scorer of the late equalizer to grab a last-ditch point at The Home Depot Center, will operate in more of a holding role to compensate for the loss of the combative central midfielder.
"Everybody has to take on some more responsibility with Shalrie out," said Nicol. "One guy can't be responsible for everything that he does on the field."
With Clint Dempsey, Pat Noonan, and Steve Ralston away with the U.S. national team, Nicol is left with a dearth of options in midfield.
Either Ryan Latham or Connolly Edozien is favored to slot in for Joseph, although neither would be considered a straight swap. Edozien's insertion would likely force Khano Smith back into midfield, while Latham would likely take a spot on the wing.P
Any change within the 3-5-2 formation could force Nicol to shift Joe Franchino into Joseph's midfield role, with James Riley moving to the back line to compensate. If Nicol prefers to move to a 4-4-2, Riley would drop to right back, with Jay Heaps moving to central defense.
"We'll see what happens," said Nicol about his selection quandary. "I'm certainly not going to tell you."
The Revs have yet to seal the signing of Gilberto Flores, as it is still held up in paperwork. The Brazilian would have been a doubt to make the trip, as he has not trained since arriving last Thursday and lacks match fitness.
"It's at the league level," said Nicol. "He's been sitting on his backside since he got here."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
