Lorenzo Incine’s Toronto FC debut delayed due to calf injury

Toronto FC coach Bob Bradley said a calf injury could delay the debut of Italian star Lorenzo Incine until July 23.

Former Naples captain and fellow Italian Domenico Criscito were waiting for the MLS secondary transfer window to officially open on Thursday. When Toronto (5-10-3) visits San Jose Earthquakes (4-7-6), both are eligible to play on Saturday.

However, Incine, one of the TFC’s designated players, has dealt with calf injuries in Europe.

“I was taken off the field because of discomfort while he was on the field,” Bradley said after training on Wednesday.

“I think it will take a few weeks for him to be ready,” he added. “I think the realistic goal is July 23. It’s not official. There is always hope that things can move faster.”

July 23rd is when Toronto will host Charlotte FC. If that timeline continues, 31-year-old Incine will miss a league match against San Jose, Chicago and Montreal.

Incine’s salary has not been disclosed, but he will be the highest-paying player in the league this season, surpassing Chicago Fire star Xherdan Shaqiri’s $ 8.15 million.

Former Genoa captain Defender 35-year-old Criscito trains in a team.

There is a drama with two other designated players in Toronto, Alejandro Pozuero has moved to Inter Miami CF and Karos Sarcedo deals with personal issues.

The contract to send Pozuero is in Miami, which has not yet been officially announced, but the previous league MVP was seen saying goodbye at a training center in Toronto on Wednesday.

Pozuero towed his two sons and hugged Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio before driving with his father in Mercedes. Sunshine State is waiting for the Spanish playmaker.

Pozuero’s trade to Miami is proceeding through the league office, and Toronto is expected to receive a modest amount of quota in return.

More importantly, this deal clears the salary cap space and Toronto’s designated player spots. Pozuelo was the fourth highest paid player in the league at $ 4.69 million, according to figures released by the MLS Players Association in April.

“The details of Ali’s situation aren’t 100 percent yet, so I have no further comments,” Bradley said.

Toronto continues to rebuild after seeing about 20 first-team players sent off after last year’s disastrous 6-18-10 season, five seasons with Juventus.

“A lot is happening,” said Bradley, who is also the team’s sporting director. “In a sense, it’s normal to approach the start of the international (transfer) window and the start of the (MLS) trade window. There is a lot of controversy and we’ll see how some details work. “

Salsed returned to the team on Wednesday after returning from Mexico, where his wife recently gave birth to a daughter a few weeks ago. The club has not disclosed the issues that Salsed is dealing with.

“We will continue to support him,” Bradley said.

Designated athletes have a salary cap relaxation that counts salaries of $ 612,500 or less against the team’s $ 4.9 million salary budget. Due to the late arrival of Incine, only $ 306,250 in Incine’s salary will be capped.

Pozuero, who won the league MVP honor in 2020, will lose his contract this summer.

Meanwhile, Toronto midfielder Noble Okello was seen training on Wednesday with an injured comeback. The 21-year-old Canadian hasn’t played since March 12.