LA Galaxy star Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández out for season with torn ACL

Javier
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández fell in the first half of the Galaxy’s loss to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday. (Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

LA Galaxy star Javier “Chicharito” Hernández will miss at least the rest of the season after tearing an ACL in his right knee, the team announced on Friday.

Hernández will undergo surgery in the near future. It’s unclear how long the 35-year-old will be out for.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, there are fears that the injury could end Hernández’s career. His contract with the Galaxy is due to expire at the end of the season. He originally signed a three-year contract with the club in 2020 which earned him over $19.4 million. A performance clause in his contract last season automatically triggered a fourth season and guaranteed him $7.4 million, making him the third-highest-paid player in Major League Soccer.

Hernández fell in the 24th minute of the Galaxy’s 3-2 loss to Real Salt Lake in the US Open Cup on Wednesday night. He received an open pass in an attack and his right leg collapsed a few steps later – causing him to fall straight to the pitch in pain. He immediately waved to the coaching staff and he was finally stretched.

Hernández has scored once this season in 12 total appearances for the Galaxy. He has scored 39 goals in 80 total starts for the club, which he joined ahead of the 2020 season during his move to MLS.

The Mexican star made his debut for Guadalajara, although he left for Manchester United in 2010. Before returning to North America, Hernandez spent time with Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United and Sevilla. He was also a fixture on the Mexican national team. Hernández is the country’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals in 109 international appearances. He didn’t feature with the team at last year’s World Cup in Qatar, where Mexico went 1-1-1 and failed to make it out of the group stage.

The Galaxy currently hold a 3-3-9 record this season, which is the worst in the Western Conference.

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