Canadian forward Jacob Shaffelburg is set to undergo surgery on Friday to address a degenerative condition, as confirmed by Los Angeles FC. The MLS team stated that the recovery period is expected to be around eight weeks and emphasized that the surgery aims to fully resolve the issue and prepare Shaffelburg for the upcoming 2026 season.
Hailing from Port Williams, Nova Scotia, the 26-year-old was part of Canada coach Jesse Marsch’s January camp in California. Following this development, Canada Soccer announced that Toronto FC winger Malik Henry will step in to replace Shaffelburg.
Shaffelburg, who was acquired by LAFC in a trade on December 29, which saw Nashville SC receive $1 million in general allocation money, boasts a record of six goals and one assist in 31 appearances for Canada, including 12 starts.
The Canadian training camp is scheduled to continue until January 18 in Irvine, culminating in a friendly match against Guatemala, ranked 94th, on January 17 at BMO Stadium, the home venue of LAFC. This encounter marks the first meeting between the two teams since Guatemala eliminated Canada from the Gold Cup last June in Minneapolis, with Shaffelburg being red-carded in the first half of that game.
On the other hand, Henry, a 23-year-old native of Hamilton, previously represented Canada at the under-15 level and secured a first-team contract with Toronto FC in August last year.