Los Angeles FC announced that Canadian winger Jacob Shaffelburg is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to address a degenerative condition. The MLS team stated that the recovery period is expected to be around eight weeks and that the procedure aims to fully resolve the issue and prepare Shaffelburg for the 2026 season.
Originally from Port Williams, N.S., the 26-year-old had been part of Canada coach Jesse Marsch’s January camp in California. However, Canada Soccer revealed that he will be replaced by Toronto FC winger Malik Henry.
Shaffelburg, who was acquired by LAFC in a trade on Dec. 29 that saw Nashville SC receive US$1 million in general allocation money, has recorded six goals and one assist in 31 appearances for Canada, including 12 starts.
The Canadian camp, which will continue until Jan. 18 in Irvine, includes a friendly match against No. 94 Guatemala on Jan. 17 at BMO Stadium, the home of LAFC. This encounter marks the first meeting between the two teams since Guatemala eliminated Canada from the Gold Cup last June in Minneapolis through a quarterfinal penalty shootout, during which Shaffelburg was shown a red card in first-half stoppage time.
Henry, who has previously represented Canada at the under-15 level, recently signed a first-team contract with Toronto at the age of 23.
