TORONTO -- A Canadian team beset with a rash of serious injuries might have one more to deal with ahead of a pair of crucial World Cup qualifying matches.
Canadian coach Stephen Hart confirmed Saturday that Atiba Hutchinson will likely not play against the United States in Sunday's friendly at BMO Field, and that the PSV Eindhoven midfielder is questionable for Canada's World Cup qualifying match against Cuba on June 8 in Havana.
Sunday programming alert: Watch Canada host the United States in an international friendly from Toronto live on Sportsnet on June 3. Coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Four days after playing the Cubans, Canada returns to BMO Field where it will host Honduras in another World Cup qualifier.
Hutchinson, a 29-year-old native of Brampton, Ont., missed most of the first half of the 2011-12 Dutch league season after sustaining a knee injury while on international duty at last summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup and then injuring the same knee while playing for Canada again in September.
After having a third operation on his left knee in an-18 month period, Hutchinson returned to action earlier this year and finished the season with 15 appearances for PSV in all competitions.
Hart said Mike Klukowski has been bothered by a leg muscle problem but should be available to play against the U.S., although the Canadian coach hinted he could take the extra precaution of resting the defender and save him for the Cuba match.
"They big decision is if to risk (them) in an exhibition game because the Cuba game is still a few days away and maybe they can do with the rest," Hart told reporters after Saturday's team practice.
Canada has been hit hard by injury problems lately.
Midfielder Josh Simpson, an important starter for the Canadian team, broke his leg on May 23 while playing for Swiss club BCS Young Boys. Canada is also missing defender Marcel de Jong, another key player, and midfielder Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault with long-term injuries.
Hart hedged his bets when asked whether he thought Hutchinson would be fit to play against Cuba.
"Well, we hope. We can always hope. It's not only about Atiba, but it's about the mental state of the whole team when they see Josh out and Marcel out, and potentially if Atiba doesn't play they start thinking we're losing some quality," Hart said.
Hart didn't get into specifics, but it sounds as though Hutchinson has aggravated the old injury.
"Atiba just doesn't feel comfortable. He trained today and looked smooth but he said in the back of his mind he didn't really feel comfortable," Hart stated.
The potential loss of Hutchinson, voted Canadian player of the year in 2010, would rob Canada of one of its best players for the qualifier against the Cubans. The PSV midfielder is dangerous on the dribble, he can set teammates up with scoring chances with his strong distribution, and he probes the Canadian attack forward with his sublime ball control and dangerous runs.
But Hart points out that Canada has made do without Hutchinson before (he last played for his country in September against St. Lucia and missed most of last year's Gold Cup tournament) and the team is prepared to do so again.
"We haven't played with Atiba since St. Lucia, and he only played 20 or 25 minutes in the Gold Cup, so we've played without Atiba before. It's just that Atiba gives you a different dimension when he plays. We've catered for (playing) without him. We'll be alright," Hart asserted.
Canadian defender Andre Hainault echoed the sentiments of his coach, stating Canada is in a better position to deal with Hutchinson's potential absence.
"Atiba is very important for us but we do have a deep team. That was the first thing I noticed when I came into camp -- the deepness at every position," Hainault said.
"So we do have guys who can step in and do a good job for us. Of course, it's hard to replace a player like (Hutchinson) but we have guys that can do a good job, so we're not too worried about that."
If Hutchinson is unavailable against Cuba, Hart said that the players who were given an opportunity to play in the PSV midfielder's absence will have to step up in a big way.
Hutchinson was not made available to talk to the media after Saturday's practice.
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