Raul Ruidiaz to miss Seattle Sounders vs LAFC due to hamstring injury | OneFootball

Seattle Sounders vs Los Angeles FC is the standout fixture in Major League Soccer this weekend but the Western Conference clash will go on without one of its key figures.

Brian Schmetzer has confirmed Sounders striker Raul Ruidiaz will miss two matches due to a hamstring injury sustained in a 4-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in midweek.

"He’ll be out for a couple [of] games," Schmetzer said. "His MRI came back and he does have a slight pull, so that wasn’t good news."

The timing of Ruidiaz's injury is unfortunate. The Peruvian endured a slow start to the season, finding the net just once in his first eight matches across all competitions. But that form has been turned on its head recently, with Ruidiaz scoring seven in his last six, including a brace in that aforementioned victory over Vancouver.

Nevertheless, Schmetzer sees no reason to rush Ruidiaz back, confident he has enough depth on his roster to deal with his absence for matches against LAFC and Sporting Kansas City.

"We’ve got Will [Bruin], we’ve got Fredy [Montero], the team’s playing well," he said. "I don’t want to rush him back."

Western Conference and face an LAFC team top of the overall standings.