This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Real Salt Lake defender Chris Schuler is scheduled to undergo a procedure Monday evening to determine the extent of damage to the meniscus in his right knee, the club confirmed Monday afternoon. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Andrew Cooper, RSL's team physician. A timeline for how long the 6-foot-4, 27-year-old center back will be sidelined will be determined following the surgery Monday night.
Schuler was a last-minute scratch from RSL's starting lineup Saturday night against the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps. RSL coach Jeff Cassar said afterward Schuler injured himself in warm-ups just minutes before kick-off in Sandy. Schuler suffered a knee injury in RSL's 1-0 win at San Jose on April 5, but stayed in and played the full 90 miuntes. Cassar held Schuler out of RSL's 0-0 draw at Sporting Kansas City on April 11.
On Friday, Cassar said Schuler trained each day leading up to RSL's match against the Whitecaps, adding that his center back "looked sharp."
The knee injury is the latest added to an expanding list of various injuries befallen Schuler during his six-year career at RSL. Last season, Schuler missed a month due to several facial fractures suffered in a collision with former RSL center back Nat Borchers in early October. He started 25 matches, logging more than 2,100 minutes played in 2014 — both of which were career highs. In 2013, lingering foot issues sidelined Schuler for four months. He missed 18 matches before returning in late September that year to help key a run to the MLS Cup final.
Schuler's 2012 season was similar to 2013. A stress response — the makings of a stress fracture — sidelined him for three and a half months in the middle of the season as he started 12 games.
The Tribune will update this story as more information becomes available.
-Chris Kamrani
Twitter: @chriskamrani