This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Real Salt Lake is suddenly suffering a center back shortage.
Chris Schuler, the starter for the season's first 12 games, is already dealing with a foot injury. Now, backup Kwame Watson-Siriboe could miss significant time because of a likely ACL injury.
Watson-Siriboe suffered an injury in the third minute of a reserve game Saturday in Phoenix. He played five more minutes before being taken out of the game.
Doctors initially believed Watson-Siriboe had injured his meniscus, a team source said, but it appears now to be a more serious ACL injury. The extent of the injury and the amount of time Watson-Siriboe might miss was not immediately clear.
Whatever happens could impact RSL's activity when the transfer window opens next month.
"If both of them were to be out for an extended period, we'd have to look at possibly some reinforcements," RSL general manager Garth Lagerwey told ESPN 700 on Wednesday. "We obviously have a lot of confidence in Carlos Salcedo and Aaron Maund to get a job done, but we'd have to look at what is our plan for the rest of the season."
The team will continue to be cautious with Schuler over the next two to four weeks, hoping to prevent the onset of a stress fracture, an injury that kept him out for four months last year.
• Aaron Falk
Twitter: @aaronfalk