Canada names replacements as Osorio and Shaffelburg miss Nations League quarterfinal

Midfielders Jonathan Osorio and Jacob Shaffelburg will miss Canada’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Guatemala after sustaining injuries in the final week of the Major League Soccer regular season. Defender Zorhan Bassong and forwards Charles-Andreas Brym and Theo Corbeanu were added to the roster, Canada Soccer said in a release on Monday.

The injury details for Osorio were not disclosed; he had played 89 minutes in Toronto FC’s 4-1 season-ending loss at Philadelphia on Saturday and previously missed time with a knee problem. Shaffelburg left Los Angeles FC’s 2-1 defeat to Seattle in the 79th minute after a hard tackle caused an injury.

Osorio, with 10 goals in 92 caps, and Shaffelburg, who has eight goals in 39 appearances, were originally named to the squad when Canada announced its initial roster for the competition window last Tuesday.

Corbeanu, a Toronto FC teammate of Osorio, has two goals in seven internationals since his 2021 debut. Bassong, who plays for Sporting Kansas City, has earned eight caps since 2020. Brym, a NAC Breda forward, also debuted in 2020 and has one goal in 13 games.

Captain Alphonso Davies is expected to feature against Guatemala after limited minutes at the World Cup and a recent honeymoon break. The squad had already been coping with injuries to players such as Stephen Eustáquio, Cyle Larin, Derek Cornelius, Alfie Jones and Alistair Johnston.

Canada, ranked 27th globally, will travel to No. 95 Guatemala for the first leg on Nov. 13 and host the return match at Toronto’s BMO Field on Nov. 16. Canada Soccer will honor former midfielder Julian de Guzman at halftime in Toronto following his induction into the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame class of 2026.

The winner of the two-legged series secures a place in the Nations League Finals in Los Angeles in March 2027 and qualifies for the 2027 Gold Cup, while the loser will enter the Gold Cup preliminary round.