Things have been going a lot better for CF Montréal in the last couple of months both on and off the field. But, every so often, something bites you in the ass.

CFM’s on-field form has improved but they have struggled with injury issues throughout the first portion of the season. Now, they are expected to be without important attacker Romell Quioto after it was confirmed the Honduran’s thigh muscle suffered earlier this month is in fact a muscle tear, as reported by 985 Sports’ Jeremy Filosa.

Quioto, Montreal’s top goalscorer in each of his three seasons with the club so far, played in 30 of his team’s 34 MLS games last season. Things have gone very differently so far this year. He’s featured in just seven of CFM’s 14 league matches, completing the full 90 minutes only three times.

He’s still made some important contributions, scoring twice including the sensational stoppage-time winner to secure Montreal’s first MLS win over the season against the Philadelphia Union back in March and then netting the insurance marker in a 2-0 win over Orlando City three weeks ago.

In between those scoring appearances, though, he missed three games with a thigh injury that reportedly saw him return to his home country for treatment. He has also been absent for the last three games — the MLS defeats to FC Cincinnati and New York Red Bulls and Wednesday night’s Canadian Championship semi-final win over Forge FC — with the latest thigh injury.

Now, Hernán Losada knows he will be without the striker for several weeks at least, joining captain Samuel Piette and forward Mason Toye on the long-term absentee list. There is currently no firm timeline for his anticipated return, although Filosa suggests he is unlikely to be back in action before July 5.

That is a massive blow considering that Saturday’s home clash with Inter Miami kicks off a run of five games in the next 15 days, including the Canadian Championship final against Vancouver Whitecaps on June 7.

The huge concern for CFM is that despite only featuring in half of the team’s MLS games so far this term, Quioto is the club’s top goalscorer in the league with three goals. Below him in the list are fellow attacker Chinonso Offor and midfielder Mathieu Choinière with two apiece, and then three players with a single goal.

It’s not enough — not by a long shot and in Quioto’s absence for the last two games, Montreal’s form has slipped with back-to-back defeats and only one goal scored. It’s clear Losada cannot rely on Quioto’s fitness anymore; either Offor or Sunusi Ibrahim (who does have two Canadian Championship goals to his name this year) will have to step up and shoulder the burden of being the team’s main source of goals.