Real Salt Lake midfielder Pablo Ruiz had just battled his way back onto the field after months spent rehabbing from a knee surgery.
Now he’ll have to do it all again.
The 25-year-old suffered a tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) from a contact injury in practice Tuesday, the team confirmed.
An MRI found that Ruiz had suffered an “isolated tear” of his ACL, the team said. The midfielder met with a team surgeon Wednesday to set a surgery date. There is currently no timeline for his recovery, though he is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
“Once again my career is put on pause,” Ruiz wrote in a post he shared on Instagram. “… I want you to know that this is not the end, I will simply get back up stronger than ever and do what I love most, which is playing soccer.”
Ruiz figured to be a key part of RSL’s squad this season and had started two of the team’s three games. The Argentinian has seven goals and 16 assists in 108 career appearances for the club. His contributions were sorely missed last season: RSL went 1-5 across all competitions in the first six matches after Ruiz injured his right meniscus during the Leagues Cup last August.
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