KC Current’s roster will be tested without Debinha. Is club deeper than last year?

Debinha’s flair and creativity were fully displayed during the Current’s season-opening and historic inaugural match at CPKC stadium.

But in the 31st minute, a routine touch and tap of the ball past an opponent resulted in Debinha’s fall to the ground, and play halted while a trainer ran onto the field.

No contact.

The collective gasp of CPKC stadium was nearly audible as she sat on the ground, holding the back of her quad, the universal sign for “hamstring” in sports.

On Wednesday, the Current confirmed that Debinha indeed suffered a hamstring injury that will keep her out of action for at least the next two weeks. A spokesperson cited a return “after the international break,” which follows the Current’s March 30 match at CPKC Stadium.

The Current’s next game after the international break is April 14, when the club travels to New York to take on Gotham FC.

In the meantime, it’s “next woman up,” a prime opportunity to flex the depth KC hoped to build in the offseason.

Vlatko Andonovski’s problem will be the envy of many coaches.

“We’re obviously looking at different options,” Andnovski said on Wednesday. “After today, we’re going to have a better picture.”

The question of who replaces Debinha doesn’t have a perfect answer. There’s no like-for-like substitution for one of the world’s best players, especially one who possesses so much flair and creativity.

So here are a few names who might be called in at her spot on the field.

The first thought would have to go to Kristen Hamilton, the player who subbed in to replace Debinha. The club’s all-time leading goalscorer filled in well, scoring a goal and what should be credited as a secondary assist in the second half of the Current’s 5-4 win.

The veteran forward can play as a striker or on the wing and excels in either spot.

Claire Lavogez also has a case for the spot, and she’s someone Andonovski sees as similar to Debinha.

“Claire is someone that possesses very similar qualities or is the closest one in the way that she plays,” Andonovski said.

Dropping Lavogez onto the right wing would give Andonovski a very similar look to what the Current threw out in the first 30 minutes of their historic opener.

Like Debinha, Lavogez has shown a penchant for flair and nutmegs — and has a spectacular shot from a distance. She replaced Vanessa DiBernardo on Saturday but was pushed farther up the field than DiBernardo traditionally operates.

The Current will be without Nichelle Prince and Michelle Cooper for this weekend’s matchup against the San Diego Wave, eliminating either of the speedy forwards as an option.

One of the most intriguing options is Temwa Chawinga. She made her mark coming off the bench, helping create Hamilton’s goal and directly assisting Alex Pfeiffer’s goal, which set the NWSL record for youngest goal-scorer.

Andonovski said Chawinga was supposed to start, but the Current wanted to be cautious after she suffered a minor injury in the club’s last preseason friendly.

“Temwa is a very intense player,” Andonovski said. “(She) understands the spaces behind the back line and will take advantage of it.”

The Current and Wave kick off at 9 p.m. central on Saturday. The match can be seen on the ION channel.

NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup adds to KC soccer calendar

Three more KC Current home matches at CPKC Stadium were added to the schedule on Wednesday with the announcement of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.

The tournament will feature a World Cup-style group stage, with the top 4 group winners advancing to the semifinals. It begins July 19 and runs through August 4. The championship game will be held the weekend of October 25-27.

The Current will play home games on July 20, July 27 and August 1 against the Houston Dash, Pachuca FC and Tigres UANL, respectively. All matches kick off at 7 p.m.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.