Sounders F Morris out for season with torn ACL
Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris will miss the entire 2018 MLS season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey confirmed to reporters on Monday that Morris sustained the injury in the second half of the team's Round of 16 CONCACAF Champions League matchup against Salvadoran side Santa Tecla on Thursday.
"Jordan has torn his ACL," Lagerwey told reporters. "The tests we've done so far don't appear to reveal other (damage), but I want to be cautious and say that until we go in and do the surgery, we won't know that for sure.
"We are going to rule him out for the season. He'll have surgery probably in a couple of weeks once the swelling goes down and he can build up the strength of the muscles around it. But we want to approach this as what's best for Jordan's career long-term. We think he's a Sounder for the long-term. He's in the organization's long-term plans."
Morris was limited to 23 games in 2017 due to ankle and hamstring injuries. He was the MLS Rookie of the Year in 2016, scoring 12 goals and adding four assists in 34 regular-season matches. Morris was also an emerging force with the United States men's national team, scoring five goals in 25 career appearances.
Lagerwey told reporters that the Sounders plan to sign another forward to fill the void left by Morris' injury.
Seattle begins its MLS regular-season schedule on Sunday against Los Angeles Football Club. The two-leg, total-goal series against Santa Tecla finishes Thursday in Seattle, with the Salvadoran club ahead 2-1.
--Field Level Media
