Mexican forward Javier Hernandez suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will miss the remainder of the MLS season, the LA Galaxy said Friday.
Hernandez, 35, was injured last Wednesday in the MLS Lamar Hunt Cup quarterfinal game against Real Salt Lake City.
The Los Angeles team said the top scorer in the Mexican team’s history “will undergo surgery at a date to be determined to begin the rehabilitation process.”
A cruciate ligament tear in the knee is one of the most difficult injuries for any athlete. Depending on the degree of injury, the estimated recovery time ranges from six to nine months.
Galaxy did not provide a detailed report on the specific type of tear.
The injury comes at a bad time for the Mexican striker who is in the final year of his contract with the Galaxy.
Hernandez scored 18 goals last season, his best since arriving in Los Angeles in 2020, but this year, plagued by various injuries, he has barely scored in nine games.
If the LA Galaxy choose not to sign the veteran, a return to Mexico to play for Chivas could be an attractive option for Hernandez, who made his Guadalajara debut in 2006 and has always said he wants to return eventually. Would like to
Hernandez spent four years in the first division with Rebanno Sagrado before moving to Manchester United in England. He then had stints with Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United and Sevilla before landing in MLS.
Chivas, one of the two most popular teams in Mexico, reached the final of the Clausura tournament, but lost to Tigres. One of the positions the team needs to strengthen is the center forward. Serbian coach Velko Paunović played almost the entire season without a starting nine.
