Valour FC is about to begin life without their co-captain, their rock at centre-back, their ‘Beast’ – Andrew Jean-Baptiste.

The Canadian Premier League’s top club with six wins and just one loss through seven matches takes to the pitch for a Saturday afternoon matinee at IG Field – their last of the ‘Kickoff’ bubble — against HFX Wanderers FC but minus Jean-Baptiste, who has been lost for the season with an ACL injury. https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/i-want-to-help-make-sure-the-team-still-has-in-sight-the-mission-at-hand-im-not-leaving-my-team-because-of-this-andrew-jean-baptiste-will-miss-remainder-of-season

Replacing a force many felt was one of the CPL’s top players through the first chunk of this season won’t be simple. But unlike last year when the team was crippled by injuries or in 2019 when the roster depth was thin, Valour FC GM and head coach Rob Gale believes he has the pieces to make this work going forward.

“Very confident in the group,” said Gale Friday in a Zoom call with media. “You see that when Andrew went down it was nil-nil in the game (eventually a 3-nil win over York United FC) and we probably put on our best performance of the season at both ends of the park.

“I’m devastated, mainly for Andrew himself. I’m gutted for him, really, because he’s such a great character. Like I said before, when we tried to sign him it was the end of the first season (2019) and I knew what a difference he was going to make to our football club and the vision we had for it going forward. He proved it in his first season and he’s been magnificent again this year.

“You can’t replace him… it’s the equivalent of a Forge losing a (Kyle) Bekker or (Marco) Bustos going down at Pacific. He’s that level of player. To me he’s the best player in the league. But, that’s football, it’s reality and it’s next man up. It always has to be that way. Andrew will be around the group and still a key figure around us and that’s how we want it as a tight-knit family. We’ll support his recovery and as long as I’m there there’s a place for Andrew Jean-Baptiste as my skipper.”

Valour FC does have some options to fill in the void left by Jean-Baptiste’s injury. Stefan Cebara moved into that spot in the win over York, but the club could also lean on other candidates like Rodrigo Reyes, Tony Mikhael, Amir Soto and Andy Baquero. As well, Ligue 1 veteran Arnold Bouka Moutou, who’s time with the club last year was limited by injury, has now passed his PCR Covid test and is completing his quarantine and should be able to join the club on its upcoming road trip.

There could be another piece added soon, too, as Gale hinted on Friday.

“We knew we needed more depth this year,” he said. “I’m still addressing it – something we’ve been working on for a few months could come together quite shortly. That’s why I’m confident

“We’re adding Jose Galan, Masta Kacher, Brett Levis and Arnold Bouka-Moutou coming out of this bubble,” said Gale. “So, we’re going to be in the strongest position we have been come the road trip and that’s what gets me excited. We’ve yet to reveal a full hand here and the additions are enormous. That’s a lot of talent and experience we haven’t been able to call upon because we were stretched thin at the start of this bubble. We’re going to come out in rude health, I hope.”