=== Sporting's Nagamura likely to miss playoff opener ===
 
 Kansas  City, KS  (Sports Network)  -  Sporting Kansas  City midfielder  Paulo
 Nagamura  is unlikely to feature in his club's opening playoff match on Sunday
 because of an ankle injury.
 
 Nagamura  sustained  the problem  in  Sporting's  final regular  season  match
 against  Philadelphia  last Wednesday  and was  removed from  the contest as a
 precaution.
 
 But  after further  tests, it has been confirmed that Nagamura has suffered an
 ankle  sprain  that could  keep  the  29-year-old  out of  Sporting's  Eastern
 Conference semifinal first leg against either Chicago or Houston.
 
 "It's  a  serious  ankle  sprain,"  Sporting  head  coach  Peter  Vermes  told
 MLSsoccer.com.  "I'm very  doubtful for our first game. Very doubtful. So it's
 really going to be when he gets better and when he can play through."
 
 Nagamura is in his first season with the club and has made 27 appearances this
 term, including 19 starts.
 
 
 
 10/29 12:50:15 ET

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