New LAFC forward Jacob Shaffelburg to undergo surgery

Less than two weeks after being acquired by the Los Angeles Football Club, Canadian forward Jacob Shaffelburg is set to undergo surgery to repair a degenerative issue in his groin.

The upcoming procedure, scheduled for Jan. 16, was announced Thursday by LAFC.

Following a trade with Nashville SC on Dec. 29 that swapped $1 million in General Allocation Money, evenly split between 2026 and 2027, for the fleet-a-foot attacker, Shaffelburg’s injury was discovered during his intake, LAFC confirmed.

The 26-year-old winger is expected to miss the first four matches of LAFC’s MLS regular season as well as the early rounds of the CONCACAF Champions Cup over an approximate eight-week recovery.

“The procedure is intended to fully resolve the issue and best position Shaffelburg to be ready for the 2026 season,” LAFC said in a statement.

TSN first reported that groin surgery would prevent Shaffelburg from participating in the Canadian men’s national team 10-day camp beginning Thursday in Irvine, which features a friendly match against Guatemala on Jan. 17 at BMO Stadium.

Called up to the 20-man camp composed of North American-based players six months ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Shaffelburg was a key contributor during Canada’s semifinal run in the 2024 Copa America, and backed that up last year. He has 12 starts and 31 appearances for Canada, contributing six goals plus an assist.

Shaffelburg also missed the early portion of the 2025 season for Nashville with a hamstring injury, and did not start until the end of April.