Saad Abdul-Salaam will play for Phoenix Rising of the USL for the rest of the season. (Photo courtesy of MLS)

New York City FC loaned out defender Saad Abdul-Salaam to Phoenix Rising of the United Soccer League for the remainder of the 2018 season.

City will retain the right to recall Abdul-Salaam at any point during the Major League Soccer regular season, subject to league roster compliance guidelines.

Abdul-Salaam, 26, has made four appearances and registered two assists this season.

Prior to joining NYCFC this season, Abdul-Sallam played 64 times in three seasons for Sporting Kansas City and was named the team’s defensive player of the year in 2016 (he recorded six assists) before he was traded to NYCFC in December 2017 for midfielder-forward Khiry Shelton.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.