United States and Sporting Lisbon defender Oguchi Onyewu has suffered yet another knee injury that he will have to undergo surgery to repair, but unlike his first knee injury, this one will only keep him out for eight weeks. The towering central defender went down 27 minutes into Sporting's win over Pacos de Ferreira clutching his right knee and tests on Monday revealed that he had torn a ligament and torn meniscus in that knee, which will require surgery to repair.
Oguchi Onyewu To Undergo Knee Surgery, Miss Two Months
Oguchi Onyewu has injured the same right knee he did in three years ago, but this one will only keep him out for two months
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Onyewu tore his patellar tendon in October of 2009 and while he was back playing eight months later, it took more than a year before he was back to full fitness and capable of playing at a high level again. This injury is not nearly as serious, though, which is a great relief to anyone who feared the worst when he went down grabbing the same knee that he injured three years ago.
The injury is an obvious blow to Onyewu, but it is also a blow to Sporting. The American had established himself as a clear-cut starter for the Portuguese club and with the team in a fierce battle for fourth place and the final Europa League place, they could ill afford his absence.
Luckily for the U.S., Onyewu's injury will not hurt them too much. He will be out of consideration for their February 29 friendly against Italy, but he will be healthy and have plenty of time to get fit before the team gathers for a series of friendlies and the start of World Cup qualifying in late May.
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