Canadian soccer player Jacob Shaffelburg is set to have surgery on Friday to address a degenerative condition, as confirmed by Los Angeles FC. The MLS team mentioned that the recovery process is expected to take around eight weeks and the surgery aims to completely resolve the issue, ensuring Shaffelburg is prepared for the 2026 season.
Originally from Port Williams, N.S., the 26-year-old was part of Canada coach Jesse Marsch’s January camp in California. Canada Soccer announced that he will be replaced by Malik Henry, a winger from Toronto FC.
Shaffelburg, who was acquired by LAFC in a trade on December 29, where Nashville SC obtained $1 million in general allocation money, has recorded six goals and one assist in 31 appearances for Canada, including 12 starts.
The Canadian training camp will continue until January 18 in Irvine, culminating in a friendly match against Guatemala ranked 94th on January 17 at BMO Stadium, the home ground of LAFC. This encounter marks their first meeting since Guatemala eliminated Canada from the Gold Cup last June in Minneapolis through a quarterfinal penalty shootout, during which Shaffelburg received a red card before halftime.
On the other hand, Henry, who has previously represented Canada at the under-15 level, is now 23 years old and secured a first-team contract with Toronto FC in August last year.
