Felipe Mora set to undergo season-ending knee surgery

The Portland Timbers shared some bad news on Monday afternoon. Froward Felipe Mora, who was just starting to get his 2022 season off the ground after returning from injury in June, is now set to undergo knee surgery which will keep him out of the remainder of the 2022 season.

Mora will undergo cartilage restoration surgery on his left knee on Wednesday August 3, and his recovery timeline is set for a return in around nine months, according to the Timbers.

The procedure will be done on the same knee that Mora underwent a previous procedure on during the offseason, which kept him out of the first half of the 2022 season.

It’s important to note that this is not a re-injury or new injury, but rather lingering symptoms Mora was still experiencing. Mora made his return for the Timbers on June 18, and has made six substitute appearances since. The team and the payer believed that the symptoms would improve, however it now appears that that will not come to fruition, and surgery is the best option for Mora’s recovery.

Despite making a successful return in June, Mora’s 2022 season never really got off the ground. He had not made a start for the Timbers thus far this season, a reflection of the fact that he never quite looked up to full fitness at any point this year. With his season now done, Mora’s high point of his year will stand as them moment he earned and then converted the equalizing penalty for the Timbers in a 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps last month— Mora’s sole goal of the 2022 campaign.

With Mora out, Portland’s options remain thin at the forward position. Starter Jaroslaw Niezgoda has recently found his best goal scoring form since coming to MLS, tallying six goals in his last seven appearances. Backup Nathan Fogaca, signed at the end of the Spring transfer window, has made six appearances for the Timbers and tallied a brace in his MLS debut in May.

After those two players however, the Timbers have no proven strikers on their roster. The Timbers do have homegrown striker Tega Ikoba, but he is very raw and unproven, having barely played minutes for the Timbers this season.

Mora’s status now presents Giovanni Savarese with a big challenge to manage as Portland enters a pivotal run in their race to make the playoffs for the 2022 MLS season.

We wish Felipe Mora a smooth and full recovery, and can’t wait to see him on the field again soon!

You can read the full news on Mora here.