Crew may not be at full strength against Montreal

There is a possibility the Crew may not be at full strength for Saturday night’s match with CF Montreal. According to a media report, they may be without a key member of their lineup.

The situation

Colin Gay of the Columbus Dispatch said on X (formerly Twitter) that forward Diego Rossi is questionable for Saturday’s game. Rossi has been working off to the side with a trainer during the club’s last two training sessions. It appears the native of Uruguay is nursing a thigh injury.

Rossi joined the Crew in early August in what was one of the bigger MLS signings of the summer transfer window. He was brought in by GM Tim Bezbatchenko to soften the blow of losing Lucas Zelarayan. In ten appearances with the Crew, he has three goals and three assists.

Who fills in?

If Rossi can’t go Saturday night, I think head coach Wilfried Nancy has an easy choice for his replacement. I can’t see Nancy turning to anyone but Christian Ramirez. Jacen Russell-Rowe is an option, but in an important game like this, I think we’ll see the veteran Ramirez in the starting eleven. So far, Ramirez has eight goals and four assists in 29 games.

Regardless of how fit Rossi is on Saturday, I’d still rather see Nancy turn to another option. I have full confidence that the Crew can handle Montreal without him. With the playoffs looming just around the corner, I’d rather not take a chance on Rossi needlessly doing further damage to his injury.

A win or draw by the Crew or a New England loss gives our favorite team home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs and secures a spot in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup competition. Montreal needs to beat the Crew to clinch a playoff appearance. Depending on other results, a loss or draw could drop them out.