The Philadelphia Union will be without one of their most promising defenders for much of the first half of the upcoming season.
The Union announced on Thursday that Joshua Yaro underwent successful surgery to repair the shoulder injury he suffered in training in Clearwater, Florida, earlier this preseason. Yaro, 22, is expected to be out of action for 3-4 months.
“Josh came into preseason very fit and sharp. This setback is tough, but the right thing to do was to be proactive and surgery to repair the shoulder is what’s best for Josh long term,” Union head coach Jim Curtin said in a statement issued by the club. “We know he will come back stronger than ever. We have a very deep roster that we believe in, and we know the next man will step up in Josh’s absence.”
The No. 2 overall selection in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, Yaro was expected to be a starter for Philadelphia at the beginning of this season. The athletic defender started in 15 of the 17 league games he appeared in for the club during his rookie campaign last year.
With Yaro sidelined, the Union could turn to recent signing and veteran center back Oguchi Onyewu. The former US international joined the club late last month.
