Early-season player absences causing 'wrench in plans' for RSL


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SALT LAKE CITY — Injuries and absences are a natural part of sports, but Real Salt Lake head coach Pablo Mastroeni hoped to catch a break this season after his team was decimated by injury early last year.

And with it just being the second week of the season, Mastroeni's squad is already down at least two starting-caliber players in each of the first two games.

Last week, Rubio Rubin was suspended due to a red card at the end of last season and Diego Luna got sick the day before the match. This week, it's Jasper Loffelsend's turn to be suspended, and his midfield mate Pablo Ruiz is unlikely to make it back to the team in time for Saturday's match after obtaining his U.S. green card and traveling back from his native Argentina.

Loffelsend started last week's win in Vancouver and played all 90 minutes, but he was retroactively reprimanded after a video came out on Twitter of the second-year player allegedly spitting on Vancouver's Cristian Dajome during a slide tackle that earned Loffelsend a yellow card in the moment.

"Jasper being suspended, obviously, throws a little wrench in the plans," Mastroeni said. "But again, I think that's why we have a preseason. That's why everyone has to be ready to step up. It's gonna give other guys opportunities to step in there and get the job done. ... My expectations are the same as if we had the whole group, which is to go there and look for the performance that's worthy of getting a good result."

So who are the "other guys" that could get an opportunity this week or next as Loffelsend serves a likely two-game suspension?

Braian Ojeda is turning into the one constant in the midfield early in the season, but even his availability was in question last week as he awaited passport approval to travel to Canada. The 22-year-old Paraguayan is seen as a central part of RSL's plans going forward and has a chance to show his worth with a revolving door of other players around him.

Veteran MLS man Scott Caldwell will likely get the start next to Ojeda due to his 10 years of experience in the league and steadying presence in the midfield. Other options to step in could include youngsters Diego Luna and Moses Nyeman, but their appearances would likely come off the bench in supplemental roles.

The return of Rubin from suspension creates a bit of a headache at the forward position after Anderson Julio started up top in last week's win, but Mastroeni said this week's trip to Seattle is "a game where having options is definitely important. ... So we'll just see how the game kind of unfolds and decide how we utilize all the players that are available."

Kickoff against the Sounders is set for 8:30 p.m. MST on Apple TV's MLS Season Pass.

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Caleb Turner covers Real Salt Lake as the team's beat writer for KSL.com, in addition to his role where he oversees the sports team's social media accounts.

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