When FC Dallas takes the field Saturday to face the Columbus Crew at Pizza Hut Park, they will do so without the services of midfielder Juan Toja. The Colombian international suffered a high ankle sprain in the 37th minute of Tuesday's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against USL First Division side Charleston and had to leave the field.
Toja was evaluated by the FCD training staff after the team returned to Frisco on Wednesday and X-ray results provided some good news.
"He's had an X-ray and it was all clear," said FCD head coach Steve Morrow. "There are no fractures, cracks or anything. He's got a bad high ankle sprain, which can be two to four weeks. That's the diagnosis at the moment."
Before the injury, Toja was leading the Hoops in goals this year with six. He signed with FCD in late February after previously playing for Argentina Primera Division side River Plate. The 22-year-old midfielder quickly became a fan favorite with his long, flowing locks and a relentless work rate.
With Toja out of action for at least the Columbus game as well as next Sunday's match at Houston, Morrow likes the other options he has in the midfield, which includes second-year player Dax McCarty, who leads his side with five assists this season.
"It's a good option for us," Morrow said. "I think we've got enough flexibility within the squad to move things around and compensate for Juan's loss. The guy needed a rest anyway, so we knew it was coming. I think we certainly have other options. We have played with three in the middle before as well, in sort of a 4-3-3. We feel that we have got plenty of options."
Should Morrow opt for the 4-3-3, his midfield could feature McCarty alongside defensive midfielders Pablo Ricchetti and Marcelo Saragosa. But Arturo Alvarez, who had three goals in SuperLiga and his having the best year of his career,could also feature in the middle. Alvarez also played some forward earlier this year for FCD.
"It's obviously a big loss to us," Morrow said about Toja's injury. "When anybody loses a player who is playing very well, it's going to affect the team in some way. It's the same for everybody but we're not too concerned about it. We have the next two games to get through and then we have a free weekend. So, we've got plenty of time to get him fit."
After FCD faces Dynamo at Robertson Stadium next Sunday, their next match won't be until September 1, when D.C. United visits Frisco for the only time this year. Having almost two weeks between those matches will definitely work in the Hoops favor and allow them to get Toja and maybe even injured forward Kenny Cooper, who has been out since June 9 with a broken leg, back into the lineup.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
