The Philadelphia Union announced Thursday that defender Josh Yaro will miss 3-4 months after undergoing shoulder surgery this week.
Yaro suffered a labral tear during the team's preseason in Clearwater, Florida.
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"Josh came into preseason very fit and sharp. This setback is tough, but the right thing to do was to be proactive and surgery to repair the shoulder is what's best for Josh long term," Union coach Jim Curtin said in a news release.
"We know he will come back stronger than ever. We have a very deep roster that we believe in, and we know the next man will step up in Josh's absence."
The 22-year-old was selected second overall in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. He made 17 appearances (15 starts) during his rookie season.
Ken Tribbett and recently signed veteran Oguchi Onyewu are the primary candidates to fill Yaro's void and start alongside Richie Marquez in central defense.