No new absences ahead in final MLS Cup injury report

Given the circumstances, everyone involved can likely breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Neither the Seattle Sounders nor Columbus Crew added any names to the MLS Cup injury report after the final round of Covid-19 testing failed to turn up any additional cases.

The Crew will be missing three players from MLS Cup, with likely starters Darlington Nagbe and Pedro Santos being the most notable. The Crew had previously announced that both were not medically cleared to participate, with Nagbe confirming he tested positive for Covid-19. The other missing Crew player is Vito Wormgoor, who has been out most of the year with an ankle injury.

The Crew went 3-3-2 in matches Nagbe missed this year. Santos only missed one game — a game the Crew won 4-0 — but he was their second-leading scorer and top playmaker with eight goals and eight assists in all MLS matches.

The only player appearing on the Sounders injury list is Danny Leyva, who is still out with a quad strain. Xavier Arreaga is also unavailable after remaining in Seattle in order to be with his pregnant wife.