Orlando City defender Jonathan Spector will miss two to three weeks of play after suffering a knee injury during training on Tuesday.

Spector sprained his Lateral Collateral Ligament or LCL, which runs along the outside of the knee and connects the thigh and shin bones, a spokesman for the club told the Sentinel.

The given recovery timeline means he will miss the Lions’ road match Saturday against the New York Red Bulls and home matches the next two Saturdays against the Columbus Crew and Vancouver Whitecaps. If he takes a full three weeks or more to come back, he could also miss the Sept. 2 game in New England.

Orlando City players suffered multiple injuries through the first couple months of the season. Recently, the squad has been mostly healthy.

Right back Rafael Ramos, who has had consecutive hamstring injuries, is now clear to play. Left back Victor “PC” Giro still is day-to-day with a muscle injury, according to the club.

Spector’s injury is a significant blow to the Lions. He is the leader on the back line and the most consistent defensive piece on the roster this year. He’s also logged more minutes than any other field player.

Orlando City has various options to replace him, including José Aja and Tommy Redding, who have switched off starting alongside Spector. There’s also Léo Pereira, who performed well in his three 90-minute appearances a couple months ago.

ardelgallo@orlandosentinel.com