Report: Darwin Cerén to Miss Two Games on International Duty

Orlando City midfielder Darwin Cerén has been called to international duty for El Salvador and will not be available for the March 28 game at Montreal Impact, according to online reports. His service for his country would also likely force him to miss the April 3 match vs. D.C. United.

El Salvador has friendlies later this month with Argentina and Guatemala. The game against Argentina at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C., occurs on the same date as the Montreal Impact game in Canada, which means Cerén will not be available to Orlando City SC Head Coach Adrian Heath.

The El Salvador-Guatemala match is slated for 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 31 in Los Angeles at the StubHub Center.

How will this affect the Lions?

Cerén was an unused bench player in the opening match against New York City FC, but he is the first choice to replace Amobi Okugo or Cristian Higuita should they not be able to play. This will affect the team's depth and will likely put Estrela or Eric Avila on the bench March 28, provided Okugo and Higuita remain healthy and eligible to play.

Because the Guatemala game is just three days before the Lions take on D.C. United, Cerén would probably be, at best, a bench player for late in the game. But it's more likely he would not be available at all, considering he'll likely play the bulk of the game on the 31st and have to fly across the country to return to Orlando.

Cerén would likely report to El Salvador's camp after the March 21 match against the Vancouver Whitecaps at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.