Canadian forward Jacob Shaffelburg is set to undergo surgery on Friday to address a degenerative condition, as confirmed by Los Angeles FC. The recovery process is expected to take around eight weeks, with the aim of fully resolving the issue and preparing Shaffelburg for the 2026 season.
Hailing from Port Williams, N.S., the 26-year-old was part of Canada coach Jesse Marsch’s January camp in California. However, due to his upcoming surgery, Toronto FC’s Malik Henry will step in as his replacement, according to Canada Soccer.
Shaffelburg, who was acquired by LAFC in a trade on Dec. 29 that saw Nashville SC receive $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 is scheduled until Jan. 18 in Irvine and will feature a friendly match against Guatemala, ranked 94th globally, on Jan. 17 at BMO Stadium, the home ground of LAFC. This match marks their first encounter since Guatemala eliminated Canada from the Gold Cup last June in Minneapolis through a quarterfinal penalty shootout, during which Shaffelburg was red-carded in first-half stoppage time.
Meanwhile, Henry, who previously represented Canada at the under-15 level, has signed a senior contract with Toronto at the age of 23.