Hirving “Chucky” Lozano will return to the lineup for San Diego FC this weekend, but head coach Mikey Varas confirmed on Thursday that he won’t immediately rejoin the starting squad.
Lozano has missed the last two games for San Diego, including their historic first playoff match against the Portland Timbers on Sunday, due to an internal team incident.
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While the club has not disclosed the specific details of Lozano’s situation, it has been reported by The Athletic that he was involved in a verbal confrontation after being substituted at halftime in a match against the Houston Dynamo earlier this month.
After the incident, Lozano apologized publicly via social media.
After a 2-1 victory at home in Game 1 of their first-round series against Portland, Varas indicated that Lozano could return as long as he demonstrates commitment during training. The coach confirmed that the former PSV Eindhoven and Napoli player will travel to Portland and is expected to come off the bench for Game 2 this Sunday.
“Based on everything we’ve observed, he’ll be making the trip to Portland and will be an option off the bench for us,” Varas told reporters.
When asked about Lozano’s performance in training, Varas stated: “He has shown that he wants to be a part of the group, which is crucial, demonstrating through his actions that he wishes to be involved.”
SIGNED as San Diego’s first designated player last year, Lozano ranks as the fifth-highest paid player in MLS, earning a guaranteed salary of $6 million annually. In his inaugural season in MLS, he has tallied nine goals and ten assists in 27 matches, helping San Diego secure the top seed in the Western Conference. Varas, a nominee for Coach of the Year, was instrumental in San Diego achieving MLS records for most wins (19) and most points (63) for an expansion team.
This Sunday will mark the third consecutive weekend that San Diego and Portland face off, having met on the last day of the regular season as well. San Diego has emerged victorious in all three encounters this season.