Columbus Crew SC will have to operate with one of their best players for their next game and possibly beyond, as head coach Caleb Porter told reporters on Monday that star attacker Lucas Zelarayan will likely need multiple weeks to recover from a hamstring injury.
Zelarayan suffered the injury around the 43rd minute of Saturday's 2-2 draw against FC Dallas when he extended his leg while trying to get to a ball in the box.
"With Lucas it's definitely a high hamstring," Porter said, per the Columbus Dispatch. "He's definitely out this next game. We'll have a timeline how long he'll be out, but it's probably a couple weeks, maybe more."
It's certainly a big blow for a Columbus side currently in the heat of the Supporters' Shield race. Zelarayan has also missed time with ankle and knee injuries this season, but has been as dynamic as advertised when he's been on the field, with 5 goals and 4 assists in 712 minutes in his first MLS season.
There was more positive news, however, on starting goalkeeper Eloy Room, who suffered an injury of his own in the second half against Dallas. Porter said that he was feeling much better on Monday, and though could miss the Crew's next game against the Montreal Impact on Wednesday (7:30 ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; TSN5 in Canada), he didn't expect Room to be out long.
