Knee injury sidelines wing turned fullback

Coach is optimistic that Marshall- Rutty won’t be gone long

Toronto FC’s depth at fullback is being tested early in the MLS season.

Canadian teenager Jahkeele MarshallRutty is scheduled to undergo a procedure Friday on his knee after a second scan turned up different results than the first.

“We’re optimistic that it’s not a long- term issue but it’s important that they get inside and take a look and fix anything that needs to be done,” head coach Bob Bradley said after training Thursday.

Jacob Shaffelburg is back training after missing two games through injury while Kadin Chung is questionable with a hamstring issue of his own.

Bradley has been using the 17year- old Marshall- Rutty and 22year- old Shaffelburg, both former wingers, at fullback this season after the departures of Kemar Lawrence, Auro and Justin Morrow.

Marshall- Rutty was forced to leave the 2- 1 loss in Columbus on March 12 with what looked like a non- contact injury to his right knee. The Brampton native received treatment after landing awkwardly from a header and returned to the field, but was eventually replaced in the 12th minute.

He was cleared to train the next week when an initial scan didn’t show anything, and he came off the bench in the 65th minute in a 2- 1 win over D. C. United on March 19.

“Now the second scan is different, so it’s hard to say exactly the timing ( of the injury),” Bradley said.

Shaffelburg is back training and is “in consideration” for Saturday’s game against visiting New York City FC. Chung is questionable.

Bradley has 21- year- old Luca Petrasso and 19- year- old Kosi Thompson as fullback options. Kobe Franklin, an 18- year- old playing with Toronto FC II, is also available.

Midfielder Jonathan Osorio was scheduled to return from international duty with Canada and should be available, Bradley said.

Marshall- Rutty was 15 when he signed with Toronto FC as a homegrown player in January 2020, the youngest player in club history to sign for the first team. A Canadian youth international, he was called into the Canadian camp by coach John Herdman that same month but he has yet to earn a senior cap.