Laurent Ciman - LAFC - Los Angeles - Arms spread back of jersey

LOS ANGELES – Every expansion team will inevitably suffer from personnel changes throughout the season and LAFC has been no different.


Between the transfer windows, World Cup call-ups, injuries, and fitness issues, the club’s roster has appeared in a near constant state of in flux.


And with only eight regular season games remaining, the challenges for head coach Bob Bradley faces in selecting his best team on a given night don’t seem to be letting up.


LAFC captain and center back Laurent Ciman was left out of the 18 for the team's match 1-1 draw against the LA Galaxy on Friday night. Bradley referenced Ciman's focus and commitment when explaining Ciman's absence.


ā€œI’d be kicking myself out the door if you’ve got a bunch of guys giving everything they have on the field in a game like that and you feel like somebody’s not in it in the right way,ā€ he told reporters after the match.


ā€œLaurent has been an important guy. He’s passionate. He’s also emotional and he’s a guy that when his emotions are running high, sometimes it’s not always clear if he’s ready, especially for a game like that.ā€


The reason Ciman's emotions may have been running high could be due to the transfer rumors surrounding the Belgian international. The 33-year-old has been linked with Dijon in Ligue 1 by TVAS reporter Nicolas Martineau while ESPN's Taylor Twellman, who reported potential interest in Ciman during Friday night's broadcast, linked Ciman with an unnamed Belgian club.

ā€œI love Laurent. But I don’t think he’s fully focused in the moment. When there’s other things going on, listen, I will defend a team at the highest level. I had a good talk with Laurent yesterday and said, look, right now let’s see if we can get things squared away for you.ā€


After three seasons with the Montreal Impact, Ciman was acquired by LAFC in a trade following the Expansion Draft in January. He has gone on to appear in 22 of the team's first 26 matches and scored three goals.


ā€œFootball is a funny business,ā€ said Bradley when asked if Ciman has played his last game in Black & Gold. ā€œAt the end of the day, I hope not because I think he’s a player who has given a lot.ā€