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Toronto FC brace themselves for Bradley, Cesar, Defoe exits

Toronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley has played his last MLS match for at least two months.

The 26-year old will play a key role for the USA national team at this summer's World Cup and although that tournament does not begin before June 12, he is expected to be busy with national team duties from next week.

Juergen Klinsmann will assemble a 30-man preliminary squad for a pre-Brazil 2014 training camp in California on May 14 meaning Wednesday night's Canadian Championship semi-final first leg against Vancouver Whitecaps could be his last piece of club action for some time.

Bradley will likely miss TFC's MLS meeting with New York Red Bulls on May 17 if he reports for the US training camp and will not be back at the BMO Field until after July 13 when the World Cup concludes.

Also expected to be missing from Toronto for the duration of the World Cup will be Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who is a certainty for Luiz Felipe Scolari's Selecao, and Jermain Defoe, who is on the fringe of Roy Hodgson's England squad.

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Andrew Slevison
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