Stephen Eustáquio is closing in on coming back to the pitch.
After the Canada midfielder posted a photo with the training staff of his parent club, Porto, on Instagram, TSN’s Matthew Scianitti notes that the 29-year-old Leamington, Ont. native is feeling better following a blood clot in his leg and nearing a return to Los Angeles FC
Stephen Eustáquio posts on Instagram a photo with Porto staff. Eustáquio went to Portugal to rehab the hematoma (blood clot) in his leg. Hearing Eustáquio is feeling better and has some testing to undergo,but #CanMNT vice-captain is nearing a return to LAFC @TSN_Sports @TSNSoccer pic.twitter.com/cCfmZ5Pfio
— Matthew Scianitti (@TSNScianitti) April 17, 2026
Scianitti cautions that Eustáquio still has tests to pass before being included in a matchday squad.
On loan at the Major League Soccer side, Eustáquio has been out of action since Mar. 7 in rather bizarre circumstances. He collided with referee Drew Fischer in a 1-0 win over FC Dallas and picked up a knock to his leg. While undergoing treatment on the leg, he developed a hematoma during a deep tissue massage. The injury kept Canada’s vice-captain out of the last international window in March where Canada met Iceland and Tunisia in Toronto.
In three matches with LAFC, Eustáquio had a goal and an assist.
Canada has one more set of friendlies - against Uzbekistan in Edmonton and in Montreal versus Ireland - before the World Cup, but both those matches are set to be played after final rosters are due on June 1. Jesse Marsch’s side opens up its World Cup on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Qatar and Switzerland comprise the rest of Group B.
