Vancouver Whitecaps loan Caio Alexandre to Brazilian Serie A side Fortaleza EC | OneFootball

The Vancouver Whitecaps have sent midfielder Caio Alexandre to Brazilian Serie A side Fortaleza EC on loan for the remainder of the 2022 campaign.

Alexandre originally joined the Canadian side in March 2021 from Brazil’s Botafogo, signing through the 2024 Major League Soccer season. He’s recorded only 19 appearances since arriving, prompting his loan.

"This move made sense for both Caio and the club," Whitecaps FC sporting director Axel Schuster said in a release. "Caio returns to a league he knows well and his team still has 16 games until the end of the year. After Caio has been unlucky with a few injuries, he now needs to see consistent minutes and we will follow his progress closely."

Beyond a lack of impact on the pitch, Alexandre’s stint in Major League Soccer has been limited by injuries. He suffered fractures in his left foot and left hand, seeing time on the sidelines.

Now, the midfielder joins Fortaleza EC as they sit in 15th in Brazil’s 20-team top flight. The team concluded the 2021/2022 campaign in fourth place, qualifying for the Copa Libertadores before losing in the Round of 16 to Argentina’s Estudiantes.

Without Alexandre, head coach Vanni Sartini depends on Andres Cubas, Leonard Owusu, Russell Teibert and Alessandro Schopf in their fight for an MLS playoff spot. But it’s a longshot for the Canadian MLS team as they sit in 11th place of the Western Conference table with 25 points in 30 games.

The team has nine games left to turn things around and secure a top seven spot.