LA Galaxy will play in the MLS Cup final for the first time in a decade, but will do so without one of its most important players. The club announced that Spanish midfielder, Riqui Puig, suffered a torn ACL in the Western Conference final against Seattle Sounders.
"The LA Galaxy today confirmed that midfielder Riqui Puig suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee and will miss the 2024 MLS Cup," the club said in a statement. "Puig sustained the injury in the second half of the match, continuing to play over thirty minutes despite his injury, and providing the game-winning assist on Dejan Joveljić’s 85th minute goal."
Puig was instrumental for LA Galaxy's success in the playoffs, in four postseason games this season, he had a goal involvement in every game, with four goals and three assists total—including the aforementioned game winning assist against Seattle whilst already suffering the injury.
The former Barcelona player had by far his best season in MLS since his arrival in 2022. In 29 appearances for LA during the regular season, Puig had 15 goals and 13 assists, becoming an integral part of one of the most dangerous attacks in the country.
Greg Vanney now faces the tough challenge of finding another player that can fill the void left by Puig in LA Galaxy's lineup, as the team prepares to host New York Red Bulls in the 2024 MLS Cup Final this coming Saturday.
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When Will Riqui Puig Return From Injury?
Puig will undergo surgery in the coming days and a long recovery journey will begin for him. He'll be out of action for much if not all of the 2025 MLS season, depending on his recovery.
"Today begins a new challenge. I will be off the pitch for several months, but am already looking towards and motivated to return stronger than ever and ready to continue making history in this club," the 25-year-old player wrote on social media.
Potential Replacements for LA Galaxy
For the final, LA Galaxy will give much of the creative responsibility in the attacking midfielder role to summer signing, Marco Reus. Without Puig in the lineup, the German has to step up and be the difference maker.
Reus has started six games since his arrival in LA and has just one goal and two assists since August. The 35-year-old player is past his prime, but more is expected of him and now he'll have a chance to have a statement performance in the biggest game of the season in MLS.
Marco Delgado appears poised to enter the XI in place of Puig. With Reus playing a more attacking role and Edwin Cerrillo as the midfield anchor, the high-energy Delgado will likely play as a box-to-box midfielder to offer support and add balance to LA's center of the pitch.
Diego Fagúndez would be another option to enter the XI if Vanney wants to field a more attacking lineup, leaving Cerrillo to be the only defensive midfielder to start the game.
Even without Puig, LA Galaxy has more than enough dangerous attacking players to win the final on Saturday. However, Vanney's decision on who replaces Puig on the lineup is significant and could play a major role in the team's ability to add a sixth MLS Cup Trophy to its cabinet.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Riqui Puig Injury: Progress and Potential Return Date for LA Galaxy Midfielder.
