Goalkeeper Robles fractures his left arm against NYCFC
Rodolfo Pizarro isn’t the only player Inter Miami CF will be without for the foreseeable future.
The club announced Sunday afternoon that starting goalkeeper Luis Robles fractured his left arm during a collision with New York City FC midfielder Gary Mackay-Steven during stoppage time of Inter Miami’s 3-2 loss to New York on Saturday at Inter Miami CF Stadium.
Mackay-Steven was given a yellow card for unsporting behavior after the collision. Inter Miami said Robles will be further evaluated by team doctors at Baptist Health over the next couple of days.
Robles has played every minute of Inter Miami’s 15 games this season. He developed a reputation as an “Ironman” during his time with the New York Red Bulls from 2012-19, starting 238 MLS regular-season games, including an MLSrecord 183 consecutive starts from 2012 through 2018.
He was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year in 2015 andwon the Supporters’ Shield with the Red Bulls in 2013, 2015 and 2018. Although Inter Miami (3-10-2, 11 points) hasn’t officially ruled him out for Wednesday’s match versus the Red Bulls (6-7-2, 20 points) at Red Bull Arena, it’s unlikely he’ll play against his former team thisweek.
Inter Miami has two other goalkeepers on the roster — Drake Callender and JohnMcCarthy. McCarthy, who has been Inter Miami’s No. 2 goalkeeper throughout the season and is expected to replace Robles as the starter.
The 28-year-old made 65 saves and goalkeeper allowed 34 goals in 21 games with the Philadelphia Union from 2015-18. Before signing with Inter Miami in December, he played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship in 2019, recording 10 clean sheets in 29 regular-season appearances.
Robles’ injury is just another unfortunate turn of events Inter Miami had over the weekend.
In addition to losing their third consecutive game Saturday, with Inter Miami being outscored 10-3 in those matches, Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso told reporters after Saturday’s game that Pizarro will miss Inter Miami’s next “four or five games” due to Mexico national soccer team obligations.
Mexico plays friendlies against theNetherlands on Oct. 7 and Algeria on Oct. 13 in the Netherlands.
Pizarro’s recorded three goals and five assists through Inter Miami’s first 15 games. Major League Soccer’s COVID-19 protocol has a mandatory 10-day quarantine period once individuals return to theU.S. after international travel, so Pizarro isn’t expected to be available for Inter Miami until their match against FC Dallas Oct. 28 at Toyota Stadium.
“We were unable to keep him,” Alonso said. “I think that if legally he needs to go, we have to accept it and he will have to go.
“If you ask me, I disagree with this,” Alonso said.“He will have to quarantine upon return per MLS but since that isn’t the required case for the government, then FIFA approves that he needs to go and we will, unfortunately, miss him for many games — I believe it is four or five gameswe will miss him.”