San Diego FC acquires defender from English club

San Diego FC has landed another young player for the home stretch.

The Major League Soccer expansion club announced Wednesday that it has acquired defender Leo Duru on loan from EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers. The loan runs through next June, and SDFC has a permanent purchase option should it decide to keep him.

SDFC lost starting defender Aiden Harangi to an apparent arm or wrist injury during the first half of Sunday’s 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. Fellow defenders Willy Kumado and Oscar Verhoeven have also been sidelined with lower-body injuries.

The 20-year-old Duru made his Blackburn debut last August, the first of three appearances with the senior club. He made 74 appearances for the Rovers’ academy team, recording three goals and nine assists. He was loaned out earlier this year to Barrow A.F.C. of EFL League Two, where he appeared in eight matches, starting seven of them.

First-place San Diego FC (16-7-4) hosts the Portland Timbers (10-9-7) on Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium. The match starts at 7:30 p.m.

“We’re happy to welcome Leo to San Diego,” said SDFC sporting director Tyler Heaps. “He’s a player we have been monitoring for many months and is a defender with exceptional physical attributes that can also play further forward. We look forward to supporting his development and seeing him continue to grow in his professional journey with SDFC.”

They’re No. 1

San Diego FC has climbed to the top of various MLS power rankings, which probably shouldn’t be a surprise: The club is currently top in the Supporters’ Shield standings. The shield is given annually to the team with the best regular-season mark in the 30-team MLS.

MLSSoccer.com, ESPN.com and SI.com all list the club first. MLSSoccer.com’s J. Sam Jones noted that Sunday’s come-from-behind win over the San Jose Earthquakes was uncharacteristic for an expansion club.

“When you’ve got something special working, you don’t need to be at your best,” Jones wrote. “San Diego are the most remarkable expansion team we’ve ever seen and they’re going to keep pulling off remarkable things.”

SI.com’s Ben Steiner called it “a continued dream debut season for the club.”