You could hear the gasp of despair the moment Moise Bombito hit the turf for Nice this past weekend against Monaco. It looked bad, and this is not a player known for the theatrics of modern-day football every time he crashes to the ground.
Fears were realized later in the day, when it was confirmed that arguably Canada’s best defender had suffered a broken tibia and was facing months on the sideline.
It's remarkable how a team’s improved depth can be undone by a single player's injury.
How about some good news? Relatively speaking, of course. The break is non-displaced, meaning a full recovery is expected, and if all goes according to plan, Canada will have a fit and fresh Bombito back in time for next year’s World Cup. That said, flags have been raised because the injury is to the same tibia that sidelined the 25-year-old toward the end of last season.
If the term “non-displaced tibia fracture” rings a deafening bell, that's because the injury has a recent history with the Canadian national team.
Tajon Buchanan suffered the same injury in the summer of 2024, during a training session at Copa America. Losing his top right-sided winger was devastating for head coach Jesse Marsch, and although the team enjoyed a brilliant run at Copa, Buchanan’s absence was felt.
Buchanan made a full recovery, of course, and is enjoying a superb start to the Spanish season at Villarreal, not to mention with Canada. The Brampton, Ont., native has messaged Bombito, and his experience has surely provided plenty of optimism for his fallen comrade.
“I was back training fully with Inter (Milan) after, what was it, three and a half, four months,” Buchanan told Sportsnet.ca. “Played my first game with Canada after five months. Obviously, I was in the match-day squad for about four games with my club before that, so, obviously, I was back in about five months, you could say.
“I think you get to your best with the match rhythm and, obviously, if you're in a situation where you're gonna be able to play week in and week out and get more minutes, then maybe you can feel better much quicker.”
It was a tough time for Buchanan. After a highly publicized move to Inter Milan from Club Brugge in January 2024 and showing early promise with the Nerazzurri, his Italian career was derailed following the injury at Copa. He was ill-afforded playing time when he returned, resulting in a loan to Villarreal, which would later become permanent.
“Obviously, I was in a situation where I wasn't playing, and that's why I ended up going on loan," Buchanan said. "And I think once I got those games under my belt and started to find that match rhythm, I felt like my best again. And I think that helped me transition right to the end of the season and the summer, and then, obviously, right now, so I think although everyone's different, if you're in the proper situation, then it could be a lot sooner (for recovery). It's an unfortunate injury, but it's something you can definitely come back from and get back to your best.”
Words that will bring much comfort not just to Bombito, but to the Canadian soccer fanbase. Bombito, after all, is a top talent. He may not be a household name just yet, but he is well known in European soccer circles and is touted for a move to a huge club at some point. Athletic and lightning-quick centre-backs don’t just grow on trees, and when you add in his positional IQ, he might be the player with the greatest upside on Canada’s squad.
Bombito has formed a great partnership with Derek Cornelius for Canada. However, his previous leg injury, as well as a wrist injury this summer, have meant that Marsch has had the opportunity to experiment at centre-back.
Of note is the play of 19-year-old Luc de Fougerolles. Although still raw and far from being at Bombito's level at the moment, de Fougerolles has shown exciting potential. Currently on loan to FCV Dender in Belgium, the Fulham product has a huge opportunity in the coming months to stake his claim as a genuine option for the World Cup squad.
“A player (like Moise) playing at the highest level, I can always learn so much from him,” de Fougerolles said. “He’s a role model for me when I come into camp, as he’s a top, top centre-back. I try to take bits of his game, ask him questions and try to improve, but obviously it’s a big shame he’s not here, but hopefully in a few months he can get back and I can keep learning from him.”
Buchanan, now a veteran of international football with 53 caps for his country, concurred.
“Moise is a very special and important player for this team," he said. "I think everyone takes a different route, and his is definitely inspiring. And over the last few years, he's really shown what kind of player he is, and he's become such an important player for this country, a great, excellent player.
“It’s a very unfortunate situation. Obviously, something I went through, and now he has to go through it, but ... no doubt he'll be good and he'll come back stronger than ever with the motivation and all that stuff, and he'll get back to his best, for sure.”
The prognosis is positive, but with Alphonso Davies still weeks away from returning from his ACL injury and Alistair Johnston still out with a torn hamstring — not to mention Sam Adekugbe months away following a torn Achilles — Marsch must once again use a patchwork back four in this window ahead of friendlies versus Australia and Colombia.
The fact that he can still field a competent defence is a testament to the improved depth of Canada’s national team. However, counting on a teenager in de Fougerolles, relying on Richie Laryea to play on the left rather than his natural right-hand side, and playing Nico Sigur on the right when the coach has publicly said he prefers the player in central midfield, does tell a story: depth is great … until you lose one player.
