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TORONTO -- Four games into the MLS season, the Toronto FC training room is packed. Nike Air Max Heren Schoenen . And more worrying, it is filled with marquee talent. Toronto (3-1-0) could be without as many as five starters for Saturdays visit by the Colorado Rapids (2-1-1) including two designated players whose combined pay this season is close to US$13 million. Catch the game on TSN starting at 4pm et/1pm pt. England striker Jermain Defoe (hamstring) is out for the second straight week. American midfielder Michael Bradley missed another practice Friday, his body feeling the effects of games for both the U.S. and Toronto last week. "Were giving him every single chance ... well make a decision (Saturday)," manager Ryan Nelsen said of his teams midfield general. Centre back Doneil Henry (knee) will sit out a second straight game. Jonathan Osorio (hamstring) is "probably a no" for the third week in a row and fellow midfielder Alvaro Rey (hamstring) is "very very questionable." Because of injuries and suspensions, Toronto has only five players who have started every game so far: goalkeeper Julio Cesar, defenders Mark Bloom and Justin Morrow and midfielders Bradley and Rey. And that number could be down to three after this weekend. Defoe was sidelined by a hamstring injury at Spurs earlier this season. Nelsen has said the two injuries are not linked and repeated Friday that the England star was dealing with a mild strain. Hamstrings are tricky things, especially for elite soccer players. Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, for example, ran 12.2 kilometres in Wednesdays Champions League semifinal against Barcelona. Toronto, which has used 19 players to date, has had to put the brakes on Defoe, who has wanted to resume training. Nelsen, however, sees a bigger picture. "The one thing that we dont want is obviously him coming back and getting re-injured. And so if we have to sacrifice an extra week, we have to sacrifice an extra week." Nelsen said the team has been reviewing everything at its disposal -- from heart rate to distance travelled in training -- to see if things could be done differently. The club is also learning the ins and outs of the bodies of new players like Defoe, he added. The TFC manager says there are no alarm bells about the current spate of injuries. A challenging opening to the schedule and the long winter that has kept practices until this week to artificial turf under a bubble at the team training centre havent helped. Most top soccer pros would rather gargle cod liver oil than set foot on artificial turf. Nelsen believes that this is just the kind of injury run that all clubs go through at some point. "It happens at Chelsea, it happens at Man City, it happens at every single club. Hopefully were just getting all of them done now." Said captain Steven Caldwell: "Its disappointing that weve got a few injuries but a lot of them are nobodys fault." In the case of Toronto, this is a squad that brought in at least seven new starters this season. Time has been needed on the training ground to get everyone on the same page. Youre damned if you, damned if you dont, Nelsen said of practice regimens. "Because if you pull them out of training and just rest them, then theyre not ready for the demands of a game. Were sitting with three wins because the guys are fit and organized. But we couldnt have done that if we had all wrapped them up in cotton wool." Bradley presents an interesting case in point. Rested this week, he is probably the exception to the rule that starters need to practise. If he doesnt start, speculation will grow that he is dealing with more than the variety of strains the club has pointed to. The good news is the injuries have not slowed Toronto down so far. Missing Defoe, Osorio, Henry and the suspended Caldwell last week, it still managed to topple previously unbeaten Columbus away from home. Also on the plus side, squad players like rookie defender Nick Hagglund and second-year midfielder Kyle Bekker have stepped up. And veteran Bradley Orr showed his moxie in smoothly shifting over to centre back. Nelsen says his reserves have stepped up to the challenge during the current injury glut. But he is not about to say debate over his teams depth is over. "I always got told that anybody can play one, two, three games at any level," he said. "But its the ability to spit them out week in, week out ... thats the mark of what a really good player is." Orr will likely partner Caldwell in central defence with Bekker deputizing for Osorio in midfield again. Dwayne De Rosario could start on the flank for Rey with Issey Nakajima-Farran who scored off the bench last week, possibly partnering Gilberto up front. Jeremy Hall may get the nod if Bradley cant go. The pitch at BMO Field, poor for the home opener thanks to the brutal winter, should be better Saturday although the players know it will take time to return to top condition. "Its not going to be ideal," said Caldwell, who returns from his one-game suspension. Colorado, under new head coach Pablo Mastroeni, has already defeated Portland and Vancouver this season and tied the New York Red Bulls. The lone loss was a 3-2 decision to defending champion Sporting Kansas City. "Theyve got a really nice team thats been around together as well for a bit," said Nelsen. "Theyre a team, for me, that has no real weaknesses. Theyre just a lovely, solid MLS team thats going to be very difficult." Spanish midfielder Jose Mari -- real name Jose Maria Martin Bejarano-Serrano -- introduced himself last week with two goals against Vancouver. The first, a swerving left-footed rocket, was judged the leagues goal of the week. Nike Air Max 90 Dames Sale . -- Martin-Olivier Cardinal had a goal and an assist and the Grenadiers de Chateauguay used a three-goal third period to defeat the Moose Jaw Generals 4-2 on Friday in preliminary-round action at the Telus Cup midget hockey championship. Nike Air Max Heren Outlet . The Jets (30-29-9) have 69 points and trail the Stars (32-23-11) by six points for a Western Conference Wild Card playoff spot. ROME, Ga. -- The Atlanta Braves are facing the possibility of losing another pitcher for the season after general manager Frank Wren said Saturday that Cory Gearrin has a serious injury to his right elbow. Wren said Braves orthopedist Dr. Xavier Duralde on Friday found "ligament involvement" in Gearrins elbow. Wren said the right-hander will see Dr. James Andrews next week for a second opinion and a "definite diagnosis." Clearly, the Braves have braced for bad news. "I think he has a significant injury," Wren said. It is another blow to a Braves staff that already has lost starting pitchers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy this spring to their second Tommy John surgeries. "Weve kind of eaten through our depth," Wren said. "It looked like we were in pretty good shape coming into spring training with some guys about to get healthy and all of a sudden the next thing you know were pretty thin." Gearrin was placed on the disabled list on Saturday and left-hander Ryan Buchter was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett. Gearrin, a reliever, left Tuesdays spring training game against Detroit with what was described as an elbow sprain. Wren attempted to address the injuries to Medlen and Beachy by signing Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang this month. Still, the staff will be especially thin for the start of the season as Santana continues to work into form and Mike Minor and Gavin Floyd recover from injuries. Minor, who was scheduled to pitch in an exhibition game against top Braves minor leaguers on Saturday, will open the season on the disabled list as he recovers from a sore shoulder. Adidas Sneakers Dames Sale. Floyd is recovering from surgery in May to repair the ulnar collateral ligament and a torn flexor muscle in his right elbow. The Braves hope Minor and Floyd can join the rotation by late April. Santana is expected to be ready by mid-April. Gearrin was 2-1 with a 3.77 ERA and one save in 37 games with Atlanta in 2013, his first full season in the majors. He was expected to serve in a setup role for closer Craig Kimbrel. The Braves return Luis Avilan, David Carpenter, Anthony Varvaro and Jordan Walden as veteran relievers but now may have more youth than expected in the bullpen. "We always find a way to do it and get over it," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Somebody else will step up. I have the confidence in our club that theyll overcome that." Wren said Gearrins injury forced him to look for more outside help. "We have been watching very closely other moves to see if there was someone who could upgrade us or someone who could help us and we havent seen anyone we felt were better than the pitchers we have," Wren said. The Braves released veteran Freddy Garcia before signing Harang. Wren said the team was not considering re-signing Garcia. Wren said the Braves are not the only team having to adjust to injuries. "When I look around baseball theres a lot of us like this," Wren said. "Its just one of those springs and theres not a lot you can do about it." cheap nfl jerseys cheap soccer jerseys ' ' '