Canadian women's soccer goalie Sabrina D'Angelo down ahead of Rio Olympics

The Canadian women's soccer team has been hit with another injury at goalkeeper in advance of the Olympics.

Sabrina D'Angelo, who figured to be Stephanie Labbe's backup in Rio, fractured her left wrist last week with the Western New York Flash of the NWSL. Canada lost No. 1 'keeper Erin McLeod in March when she injured her anterior cruciate ligament playing for her Swedish club team.

Coach John Herdman has Labbe and 20-year-old Kailen Sheridan available for a pair of upcoming friendlies against Brazil in Toronto and Ottawa.

Labbe is an experienced 'keeper who has won 28 caps since making her national team debut in 2008. With McLeod and the now-retired Karina LeBlanc ahead of her, the 29-year-old from Stony Plain, Alta., has had to wait her turn to be No. 1.

With McLeod out longterm, Herdman is building around Labbe at the back but the concern now is for who steps in if she goes down.

The 23-year-old D'Angelo has two caps while Sheridan, who plays for Clemson University, has one with the senior squad. For last summer's World Cup, Herdman had a wealth of experience in goal with McLeod and LeBlanc having more than 200 caps between them.

"We're in a different place," Herdman said of his goalkeeping situation.

"While we're not blessed at the minute with experience, I think we're blessed with that youthfulness and the courage and energy of someone that really has nothing to fear and wants to take an opportunity," he added.

Labbe, who was also at the World Cup, took over from an injured McLeod in the final of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Houston earlier this year. And she helped Canada to victory at the Algarve Cup.

Labbe is also tied for the NWSL lead in shutouts this season with four in six games for the Washington Spirit.

There was no immediate word Monday on when D'Angelo may be fit to play. While injured, she is still on the Canadian roster.

Return of LeBlanc unlikely

Asked if he had reached out to LeBlanc out of retirement, Herdman conceded "We have gone through those thought processes."

"Karina's going on a completely different plain now, which is fantastic," he said of LeBlanc, who has turned to the media and TV since returning after the World Cup.

He also said he did not think D'Angelo's injury was severe enough that he would have to resort to retired players.

"Maybe these young kids are just ready to be given their shot," Herdman told a media conference call Monday. "I think we'll look forward rather before we look back as a philosophy."

Canada, ranked 10th in the world, hosts No. 8 Brazil at Toronto's BMO Field on Saturday and Ottawa's TD Place on June 7.

Captain Christine Sinclair is one of five players over 30 on the 20-woman squad, which looks to be the template Herdman will work on in choosing his Olympic roster. The others are defenders Rhian Wilkinson and Josee Belanger, midfielder Diana Matheson, and forward Melissa Tancredi.

The 32-year-old Sinclair has been dealing with left Achilles tendinitis and a calf issue, something both Canada and her club side in Portland are managing. Sinclair played 45 minutes in Portland's 0-0 tie with Seattle on Sunday.

The Canadian roster has 11 players 23 and younger including teenagers Jessie Fleming (18), Deanne Rose (17), and Gabrielle Carle (17).

The average age of the team is 25.2.

Canada's all-time record against Brazil is 5-6-5 since 1996. The Canadians won the last meeting, 2-1 in the Algarve Cup final in Portugal in March.

Brazil won three of the previous four, with one scorelesss tie. Three of those contests were in Brazil.