The Canadian men’s national team will be without midfielder Marcelo Flores for the upcoming World Cup.
Head coach Jesse Marsch announced Sunday that Flores will miss the tournament after suffering a torn ACL while playing for Tigres UANL of Mexico’s Liga MX during Saturday’s Concacaf Champions Cup final.
Flores took a non-contact fall in the 77th minute, and the winger was seen grabbing his right leg while on the ground before exiting the pitch in tears.
The 22-year-old posted an Instagram story on Sunday, apologizing for not responding to messages in the aftermath of the injury and confirming the news.
“Sorry I haven’t gotten back to anyone yet, really tough times,” his post read. “My ACL is gone. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone and all the messages.
“I haven’t been on my phone or checked messages, but I promise to get around to everyone, and I really appreciate the concerns. I’ll be back stronger.”
Back in February, FIFA approved a one-time switch from Mexico to Canada for Flores. He’s played two games for the national team this year.
Canada revealed its 26-man roster for the World Cup this summer on Friday.
Several Canadian players, including Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, are working their way back to full health ahead of the tournament.
Canada’s first World Cup match is scheduled for June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Canada plays Uzbekistan in a friendly on Monday in Edmonton.