Belal Halbouni

Remains out after surgery

Halbouni is expected to stay sidelined until late summer following a successful arthroscopic procedure to repair a meniscus problem in his left knee, his team announced Friday.

Analysis: Halbouni failed to recover as originally planned from the injury he suffered during the 2025 season playoffs, and he ended up undergoing surgery in hopes to avoid further setbacks. The defender won't return to action before the World Cup break, leaving his team without a reliable center-back option. With Halbouni unavailable, Mathias Laborda and Tristan Blackmon are currently favored in the race for starting spots.