Alvarez set to start with Beckerman out with dislocated rib

Kyle Beckerman will miss Saturday's match against Chivas USA with a dislocated rib, Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis said after Friday's training session. Yordany Alvarez is expected to start in his place.

Alvarez played 60 minutes against Vancouver and had an effective performance, and he's likely to be tested against an attacking Chivas side.

Kreis said Alvarez has seemed "ready for his moment."

"I think he's been playing really well in the training sessions and in the reserve games for a while now," Kreis told reporters. "Sometimes you just feel like guys are really ready for their moment, and it felt like Yordany was ready for his moment last week — so much so that I really considered just leaving Kyle out complete just to rest him, even if I didn't think he was that injured. He's at a good moment in his career right now and in his playing."

It'll be the second match Beckerman has missed outright after missing the March 23 match at FC Dallas through international duty. He rarely misses more than a few matches a season, with his longest streak of absences following the 2010 Gold Cup coming at the tail end of the 2011 season, when he was suspended for four matches after a headbutt on Daniel Paladini in a match against Chicago Fire.