New England boss Steve Nicol says it's no surprise that the loss of playmaker Steve Ralston will force the team to switch up their tactics as MLS season winds towards the postseason.

The league's all-time assist king suffered a broken fibula in a first half tackle by Kansas City's Herculez Gomez and could be done for the year, playoffs included.

"He's the guy we want to be going forward and joining up with the forwards," Nicol told the Boston Globe.

"The truth is, we don't have anybody else to play that [role] so when you lose him, it changes drastically what you're capable of."

Ralston was also injured in July, when the Revs had to settle for one goal in each of their first four SuperLiga matches.

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