By RYAN TOLMICH
The Portland Timbers’ worst fears have been realized, as Diego Valeri is officially set for surgery.
One day after reports surfaced regarding Valeri’s injury status, the Timbers confirmed Tuesday that the midfielder suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Saturday’s 2-0 win over FC Dallas. Valeri, who was substituted from the game at halftime, went down injured in the 26th minute but played on after being inspected by trainers.
As a result, Valeri is set to undergo surgery once the injury stabilizes that will keep the Argentine out of action for the next five months.
The 28-year-old midfielder scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists in the 2014 regular season, his second with the club. Valeri will now head into his second straight offseason nursing an injury, as the Argentine spent last winter recovering from a sports hernia.
Despite the victory over FC Dallas, Timbers were eliminated from the playoffs Saturday as the Vancouver Whitecaps claimed the Western Conference’s fifth and final spot with a victory over the Colorado Rapids.
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How do you think the injury will affect Valeri’s future? How will the Timbers’ cope if Valeri misses the start of the 2015 season?
Share your thoughts below.
Nanchoff can fill Valeri’s role just fine. You may not get as many of the spectacular plays but he’s a very smart player who knows how to pull the strings and create.
Valeri out for 6 months and Johnson out for 5. I’m hoping the Timbers make some purchases this offseason.
Yeah, Desso GrassMaster
Indeed, a proper pitch would have surely prevented a broken leg in Toronto and an ACL tear in Frisco…
Next season could start out much like this one did. The first eight games put Timbers in a hole they never climbed out of. Had they performed in those games like they did the rest of the season, they would be in the playoffs for sure.
Five months for an ACL tear? Who is this guy, Wolverine?
This. Not sure how we suddenly have gotten to a point where everyone thinks people can be expected to be back from ACL injuries in 5-6 months. For a lot of athletes these are year long recoveries, not everyone is Adrian Peterson. Take Theo Walcott for a example, he tore his early January and he just last weekend made the bench for Arsenal which is 9.5 months and still fairly quick frankly.
I’m guessing they are basing it on the timetable Rodney Wallace showed this past year. It was approximately 5 months from surgery until he resumed full training and just a shade over 6 months before he played 80 minutes in the Open Cup. Wallace is more of an athletic freak than Valeri though, so…