Toronto FC forward Joao Plata is expected to miss three weeks with a strained hamstring.
According to TFC head coach and technical director Aron Winter, the Ecuadorean suffered the injury during Toronto’s 4-2 win at Columbus this past Saturday.
“It should be three weeks and maybe he can play,” Winter said before Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions League Group C match against Pumas UNAM in Mexico City (8 pm ET, Telefutura).
The 19-year-old played the full 90 minutes in Columbus and assisted on Toronto’s second goal. He has three goals and five assists in MLS competition. He scored two goals against Real Estelí in a CCL preliminary-round match on July 27 at BMO Field.
Plata is on loan to Toronto from Ecuador’s LDU Quito; TFC selected him in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft with the 49th choice overall.
Midfielder Matt Stinson also was not available to play on Wednesday. He has a metacarpal injury and did not make the trip. Goalkeeper Stefan Frei, who came out of Saturday’s game in the second half with a charley horse, made the trip to Mexico.
