Darlington Nagbe, Pedro Santos not medically cleared to play in MLS Cup

The Columbus Crew will be missing at least two starters for MLS Cup after the team announced that Darlington Nagbe and Pedro Santos are not medically cleared to participate. The Crew also announced that another player tested positive for Covid-19, in addition to the positive test that came back on Tuesday. No other players or staff tested positive.

The Crew have now had 10 players test positive for Covid-19 during the playoffs, a full third of their roster. The outbreak had seemingly been contained, though, as more than a week had passed between positive tests prior to Tuesday’s announcement. At the worst point in the outbreak, the Crew were missing six players for their match against Nashville SC, and had to call off two days of training prior to facing the New England Revolution. For the most part, though, the positive tests were not among starters.

Nagbe and Santos, on the other hand, are two of the Crew’s most important players. Nagbe has played every minute during the Crew’s playoff run and is a key component of their midfield. Santos led the Crew in assists (8) and was their second-leading scorer, adding two more goals during the playoffs.