Another matchweek, another CanMNT injury for Jesse Marsch to worry about.
Canadian men’s national team forward Theo Bair is facing a spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle and ligament injury that is expected to keep him out for six to eight weeks.
Bair picked up the injury last Thursday in a Lausanne-Sport test match against Neuchâtel Xamax. The 26-year-old was forced to leave the match roughly ten minutes before full-time, with further assessment later confirming the extent of the damage. The timing is far from ideal for both club and country, as Bair had been enjoying a very productive run of form in Switzerland and earned a spot back on Marsch’s CanMNT roster before the end of last year.
The Ottawa native has been Lausanne-Sport’s most reliable attacking outlet this season, scoring eight goals in all competitions. Six of those strikes have come in Swiss Super League play, with another two arriving in the UEFA Conference League, making him the club’s top scorer under head coach Peter Zeidler. His absence represents a clear blow to a Lausanne side preparing to resume league action this week.
Lausanne-Sport open the second phase of the Super League season on Wednesday with a Léman derby away to Servette in Geneva, a rescheduled match from the 18th round. How Zeidler reshapes his attack without Bair will be a key storyline as the Swiss club looks to maintain momentum in the league. How this unwanted time on the shelf impacts Bair’s standing in Marsch pecking order is another question.
From a national team perspective, the injury adds some short-term uncertainty ahead of the spring international window. Bair has been a rotated part of Marsch’s forward pool, but his recovery timeline could open the door for others. A strong January camp from younger forwards Marcelo Flores and Rayan Elloumi could see both players climb the CanMNT depth chart, potentially challenging Bair for a World Cup roster spot.
The hope for Canada is that Bair is fully recovered in time to be available for the yet to be announced March friendlies, keeping him in the mix as competition up front intensifies ahead of CanMNT’s World Cup opener on June 12 in Toronto.