The New York Red Bulls - as has been repeated often during the team's disastrous season-opening run of six losses in its opening seven games - have been afflicted by an injury crisis with an unusual focus on the squad's center backs.
Damien Perrinelle was injured last season, and is not expected to be fit until early summer...at least. Ronald Zubar (injury-prone as a Red Bull) and new-signing Gideon Baah showed unexpected chemistry and mutual understanding by pulling up lame in the same match - on Macrh 19 against Houston Dynamo. And RBNY has limped along with a patchwork defense ever since. The back line wasn't great when it was at full strength (minus long-term absentee Perrinelle) to start the season, and it has looked less great since the injuries hit.
It is known the Red Bulls were looking for a center back to bolster the depleted roster in that position, but the search appeared to have fizzled out when Amobi Okugo's trial ended. And the need appeared to be diminishing as Zubar has returned to the match-day squad and Baah is reported to be close to regaining his fitness.
But the recent injury scare perhaps highlighted the fact that RBNY does have depth issues at center back. Not least because Karl Ouimette is the only specialist CB on the roster seemingly able to escape the injury blight, and he is also the only specialist CB on the roster likely to get regular international call-ups - so his occasional absence is guaranteed, whether he is fit or not.
All of which explains why RBNY might feel it still needs another starting-caliber center back in the squad.
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