Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez’s first taste of El Trafico will have to wait.
The LA Galaxy star was forced to miss Saturday night’s marquee matchup against rivals LAFC, with LA Times reporter Kevin Baxter reporting that Chicharito strained his calf in training earlier this week.
ESPN's Taylor Twellman reported that Hernandez could be out 3-4 weeks with the injury, which head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto later confirmed, noting that it occurred in Thursday's training sessions.
"He had a knock in training, an injury that will take three weeks to recover, or four weeks depending on the seriousness and his recuperation," Barros Schelotto told reporters on a conference call following the Galaxy's heavy 6-2 defeat to LAFC.
Chicharito scored his first MLS goal during LA’s 2-1 loss Monday against the Portland Timbers, and his loss meant Cristian Pavon became the attack's focal point as the Galaxy moved to a 4-4-2 formation with the Argentine up top and Sebastian Lletget just below him. That shorthanded version of the Galaxy, also missing star midfielder Jonathan dos Santos, played LAFC to a 2-2 tie in the first half and hung with their rivals until close to the hour mark, before giving up four unanswered goals.
LAFC are without a star of their own, as Carlos Vela previously withdrew from the MLS is Back Tournament to remain at home with his pregnant wife. Vela is coming off an MVP season where he scored 34 goals and handed out 15 assists in 31 games.
Both teams will be chasing a Group F win, with the Galaxy holding a 2-1-3 all-time series lead. However, LAFC got the last laugh with a 5-3 win over the Galaxy during the conference semifinals of the 2019 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
