As the MSU men's soccer team enters Sunday's game versus Dayton with a 3-0 record, the Spartans will be without Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week's Jordan Gruber.
"I kind of pulled my groin, but now they're thinking it might be a hernia," the senior midfielder said. "I don't know - I have to see the doctors (today). It's a shame."
An injury of this magnitude could be crippling to a team, but head coach Joe Baum said it's nothing to fret about. Gruber is currently the Spartans leading scorer, but Baum said his team will not use his injury as an excuse.
He pointed out players freshman forward Kenzo Webster and junior midfielder Udo Seidel as players he will rely on.
"They've been backup strikers and they've been waiting their turn, so they're just going to have to step up and be productive players," Baum said.
"If they do, we'll be OK and if they struggle, it could be a tough afternoon for us on Sunday.
"We got the bodies. They've been playing good in reserve roles - now one of them is going to have to be outstanding in the starter role."
Dayton comes into East Lansing with a 0-1-1 record, falling, 4-1, to another Big Ten school, Wisconsin, Sunday.
Baum said the Flyers also tied a "very good" Wisconsin-Milwaukee team 0-0 in their first game of the season. Despite the Flyers' record, Baum refuses to look past them and onto the team's two-game road trip to San Diego.
Dayton has been one of the better teams in the region for the last couple years, Baum said, saying his team cannot look ahead to its California road trip.
He also added the Spartans need to "play great team defense, move without the ball, support the ball, get up and down the field" in order to have a chance to win.
"You just got to focus on Dayton, you have to respect Dayton - they've had a couple of great years and just have all your concentration on Dayton and we'll make it a whale of a match," Baum said.
"But I've had teams before that have looked down the road a little bit, and the next thing you know, you've got an 'L' on your win-loss record."
The MSU starters have yet to allow a goal against in three games, an area the players have had drilled into their heads.
Gruber said his coach always preaches defense, saying, "I want team organization, team defense."
"What we talk a lot about is team defense," Baum said. "We want the forwards to play good defense (and) the midfielders, the backs and the goalkeepers.
"So far, it's happened. I think everyone is committed to this concept."
The team's rotating goalkeeping situation has not changed since Sunday, with sophomore Jason Tillman and freshman Chris Austin still sharing time between the posts.
Baum said practice this week has been "phenomenal," which will only help his team's chances this weekend.
"We've got to play Dayton like we play Indiana," Baum said.
