SWANSEA, Wales (AP) — American forward Jordan Morris tore his left ACL while on loan for Swansea in the English League Championship, three years after rupturing his right ACL during a match for Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders.
Morris tore his left ACL on Saturday during Swansea’s 4-1 loss at Huddersfield.
Swansea said he will miss the rest of the English season.
“It’s significant ligament damage,” Swansea coach Steve Cooper said Monday. “Everything we hoped it wasn’t, unfortunately it is. It’s the end of his season for us, and a long road back to recovery. It’s very cruel.”
The injury appears likely to sideline Morris from at least the first eight U.S. World Cup qualifiers, which start in September. There are three additional qualifiers in both January and March 2022.
“Incredibly disappointed for Jordan,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said. “He’s a big part of our group, both with his qualities as a player and his character. He was relentless in his pursuit to get back on the field after his last injury and we are confident he will overcome this, as well. We will be there to support him every step of the way.”
A description of the incident on Swansea’s website said Morris “landed awkwardly after treading on the ball as he controlled a lofted pass.”
The 26-year-old was loaned by Seattle to Swansea in January for the rest of the English season. Seattle announced Morris will return to the United States to prepare for surgery, which will be done by Dr. Bert Mandelbaum in Santa Monica, California.
"First and foremost, we have been in touch with Jordan and he has our full support during this difficult time for him and his family. It’s important to us that he get the best care possible, as well as the most comfortable environment to recover,” Seattle Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey said.
Morris missed a year of action after tearing his right ACL during Seattle's CONCACAF Champions League match at El Salvador's Santa Tecla on Feb. 22, 2018. His next competitive match was the Sounders' MLS opener against Cincinnati on March 2, 2019.
Morris has 10 goals in 39 international appearances. He won the 2015 Hermann Trophy as the top player in college soccer while at Stanford.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.