Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Alvaro Saborio’s dream of playing in a World Cup is done, at least for now.
The 32-year-old Real Salt Lake striker fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot while training with the Costa Rican national team in San Jose. Saborio will return to Salt Lake City in the coming days, RSL announced Thursday.
The forward will miss his national team’s World Cup campaign, which kicks off June 14 against Uruguay in Brazil.
Saborio is expected to miss at least three to four months with the injury. Depending on the severity and location of the fracture, it could be longer, according to a sports medicine physician in Utah.
"For an athlete, a lot of times if its a proximal fifth metatarsal (fracture), they'll get a screw put across the fracture that acts as a fracture reduction and helps stabilize it so they can return to play quicker," Dr. Karl Weenig said Thursday.
The main problem would be if Saborio's injury is deemed a Jones fracture, or a fracture on top of the bone at the mid-foot area of the fifth metatarsal. Such an injury could see Saborio out for a minimum of four months — and possibly longer, depending on the athlete, Weenig said.
"If it were mid-distal, I could let him go back after 12 weeks, and maybe even sooner," he added.
RSL medical staff will re-evaluate Saborio’s injury upon his return to Utah.
Saborio is RSL’s all-time leading scorer with 58 goals in 107 games since joining the Salt Lake side on loan from Swiss team FC Sion in 2010. The forward is tied for the team lead with six goals in 2014, alongside RSL striker Joao Plata — who went down with a re-aggravated hamstring injury last Saturday in RSL’s home draw with FC Dallas. The Ecuadorian forward will be re-evaluated in Friday’s practice before RSL flies to Seattle for Saturday’s 2 p.m. MDT kickoff against the Seattle Sounders.
Saborio also has 32 goals in 93 caps with Costa Rica, and was projected as a starter after being named to the preliminary roster May 14.
Additional information will be posted as it is made available.
