Toronto FC are gearing up for a chilly trip to the Rockies as they open their quest for the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League, but it appears they will be without two notable defensive pieces when they face the Colorado Rapids on Tuesday night (10 pm ET; univisiondeportes.com).
The Toronto Sun's Kurt Larson reported on Sunday evening that center back Chris Mavinga (pictured above) and right back Gregory van der Wiel did not make the trip to Colorado:
Van der Wiel, a Dutch national team veteran signed in the offseason, rushed home after TFC practice on Saturday to be with his pregnant girlfriend before it was later decided he would not travel. Nicolas Hasler and new Brazilian signing Auro look to be the most likely candidates to replace van der Wiel in a like-for-like swap at right back.
Mavinga emerged as an important piece of Toronto's backline in their run to the 2017 MLS Cup title, but tweeted on Sunday that he was still recovering from an abdominal injury he picked up at the end of 2017. His likely replacement in the first leg against Colorado will be Eriq Zavaleta, though Nick Hagglund is also an option to slot in alongside Drew Moor at center back.
