Bright prospect Jackson Gilman gives TFC boost amid injury struggles

To say that Toronto FC is physically hurting at the moment would be a major understatement.  

TFC have consistently dealt with injuries since the start of the 2026 MLS campaign, but their injury crisis hit its nadir in last week’s 3-1 road loss to Charlotte FC. No less than 13 members of the 27-man roster were ruled out due to injury, as Toronto (3-5-5) extended its winless streak in league action to seven consecutive games. 

If there was a silver lining from the Reds’ latest defeat, it was the play of youngster Jackson Gilman, a fullback with TFC 2, the club’s reserve team, who was signed to a short-term contract for the match in Charlotte. 

Although some players could come off the injury list, Toronto is still expected to be severely short-handed for Saturday’s contest vs. the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field, which could result in another opportunity for Gilman. 

Gilman's only previous first team appearance before last week came in Toronto's loss to Atlético Ottawa in the first round of the Canadian Championship earlier in the month. Yet, coach Robin Fraser trusted Gilman enough to start him against Charlotte, slotting the 22-year-old from Pennsylvania into the middle of the defence next to veteran Walker Zimmerman, a former two-time MLS defender of the year.   

Gilman, a second-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, responded with a man-of-the-match display with his solid two-play on the night – he was a dynamo on the defensive side of things with three blocked shots, two tackles, two interceptions and two clearances. He also had a perfectly good goal in the first half controversally ruled out following a VAR review. 

It was a remarkable display from a player with such little pro experience. After being drafted out of the University of Pittsburgh, Gilman signed with TFC 2 in February and has started in six of the team’s first 10 games of the season in MLS NEXT Pro, MLS’ developmental league, with 540 total minutes under his belt. He was also with Toronto FC during its pre-season camp in Spain and has routinely trained with the first team while still playing for TFC 2. 

Gilman’s stellar efforts in Charlotte didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates, including Spanish midfielder Alonso Coello, who cut his teeth in MLS NEXT Pro with TFC 2 in 2022 before signing an MLS contract with Toronto FC the following year. 

“He was able to control his emotions and go into a game in an atmosphere like Charlotte that is very tough to play in and just be very level-headed and take care of his job. He's very aggressive. He has a lot of confidence in himself, which is great, and he was a very impactful player for us in that game,” Coello offered. 

Toronto-based reporter James Grossi is the foremost authority on TFC 2, having covered the team in an in-depth fashion for several years. 

He likens Gilman to current assistant coach Steven Beitashour, a key player for Toronto FC during its treble winning season in 2017, with his defence-first attitude as a fullback who can also offer attacking flourishes. 

“When playing outside he has the engine to get up and down the touchline and can deliver a good ball. When in the middle his passing is sound and he has a forward lean to his play, looking for the ball that advances towards the opponent’s goal. But it is his defensive solidity that stands out; he’s one of those players who reads the game, anticipates, and puts himself in a position to not get beat," Grossi said, 

MLS NEXT Pro players can only play in two MLS regular season games per season while signed to short-term loan deals, so it'll be interesting to see if Gilman gets a recall for this weekend. If he does and he features vs. Chicago, he won’t be able to play again for the Reds this year unless he is signed to a full-time MLS contract. 

Making the jump to the first team could take some time, but it’s clear that Gilman is a bright prospect that Toronto will be closely monitoring while he continues with TFC 2. 

“As a young player, MLS NEXT Pro is always going to be a place where you can get experience. … That will always be a good option for him. We’re in a time of need now and we certainly were [last] weekend, and he's a player who's displayed the sorts of decisions in training and the maturity in training that we felt like he would have given us the best shot, and I thought he was excellent [vs. Charlotte]. I thought he was really good,” Fraser said. 

Elsewhere in MLS this weekend…. 

• The Vancouver Whitecaps will be looking to climb into first place in the MLS standings when they visit San Diego SC on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium. Vancouver (9-2-2) is just one point behind table-topping Nashville SC and can potentially leapfrog the team from Music City with a win over San Diego in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference playoff final.  

• CF Montreal is also on the road on Saturday as it faces D.C. United at Audi Field. Montreal (4-8-1) has one of the worst road records in the league with just three points and six losses from its seven matches away from Stade Saputo. German forward Prince Owusu has six goals with five assists for Montreal this season, but he’s gone three games without a goal contribution. 

• The Portland Timbers’ home game vs. the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday offers Canadian goalkeeper James Pantemis one last chance to impress national team coach Jesse Marsch before he announces his World Cup roster next week. Pantemis has quietly put together a solid MLS season for himself, starting all 13 games for Portland with one clean sheet. He’s currently in a battle with Owen Goodman for the third goalkeeper spot on the Canadian team for this summer’s World Cup. 

• It’s a battle of clubs at opposite ends of the Eastern Conference table on Sunday when second place Inter Miami hosts the last-place Philadelphia Union. Lionel Messi has been in fine form for Miami with five goals and six assists in his last four games and he’ll be looking to add to those impressive numbers in his final match before going on World Cup duty with Argentina. 

• One of Sunday’s other games sees LAFC host the Seattle Sounders in a Western Conference battle. LAFC is winless in four matches (three consecutive losses) and will be looking to Son Heung-Min, the MLS assist leader with nine, to lead them out of the doldrums before he goes off with South Korea at the World Cup.