Montreal Impact lose captain Jukka Raitala for up to 12 weeks

MONTREAL — Injuries are piling up for Montreal, and that’s posing a serious challenge for firstyear coach Thierry Henry ahead of the Impact’s Major League Soccer season opener.

The Impact begin MLS play on Saturday afternoon against the visiting New England Revolution without four of their regular starters: captain Jukka Raitala, Rudy Camacho, Orji Okwonkwo and Lassi Lappalainen.

Henry felt his roster already needed beefing up on the first day of training camp, before those players were injured.

“It would be better if everyone was healthy, if we had a full team,” Henry said before practice on Friday. “But that’s the unpredictability of sport and we need to adapt.

“Overall for me, it’s about what we can do to perform. It’s not going to be easy.”

The injuries on the back line are most troubling, with centre backs Raitala and Camacho out long term. Meanwhile wingers Okwonkwo (glute) and Lappalainen (leg) are day-to-day.

Raitala will miss eight to 12 weeks with a fractured right fibula, the team announced Friday. The 31-year-old was hurt in the fifth minute of Wednesday’s 0-0 CONCACAF Champions League draw against Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa. The Impact captain stayed in the game until halftime, but did not return for the second half.

“That one hurts,” defender Zachary Brault-Guillard said of losing Raitala.

“That’s our captain. He brings so much to this team. He’s always helping the younger players too.”

Meanwhile Camacho is out another three to five weeks with a knee injury.

Camacho will miss up to-three MLS matches while Raitala will miss seven.

Neither player will dress for Montreal’s Champions League quarterfinal against C.D. Honduras next month.

“The upcoming few weeks will not be easy,” added Brault-Guillard, who plays for Canada on the international stage. “We need to remain solid and keep our heads high.”

The Impact did not re-sign veteran defenders Bacary Sagna, Daniel Lovitz and Victor Cabrera in the off-season.