Galaxy’s Baggio Husidic to sit out several weeks because of a broken leg bone
The Galaxy extended their unbeaten streak to four games with a 2-1 road win over Minnesota United on Sunday but the victory is proving to be a costly one, with the team losing midfielder Baggio Husidic to a broken leg bone. Midfielder Joao Pedro and center back Jelle Van Damme also limped off because of injuries.
Husidic, who left the field on a stretcher in the eighth minute, could be out until late summer, further weakening a midfield that is already without national team players Jermaine Jones and Sebastian Lletget. The Galaxy returned from Minnesota on Monday afternoon and Husidic is scheduled to see a medical specialist Tuesday.
Jones will be out until at least next month because of Grade 2 sprain of a knee ligament.
Lletget isn’t expected back until at least August after suffering a fracture in his left foot.
The Galaxy (4-5-2) said that Pedro (hamstring cramp) and Van Damme (knee) are expected to play Saturday at San Jose. Pedro was subbed off in the final minutes of regulation Sunday and Van Damme finished the game despite pain in the knee. The team blamed the artificial turf at TFC Bank Stadium, Minnesota United’s temporary home at the University of Minnesota.
“I don’t think the turf helped … and I think that stuff needs to be looked at closer,” coach Curt Onalfo said. “The surface doesn’t make for a great soccer game and we picked up a pretty nasty injury so we are pretty upset about it.”
Van Damme called the FieldTurf Revolution field “the worse field I ever played on in this league.”
“It can only cause you injuries,” he said.
Husidic, Jones and Pedro are central midfielders, so if Pedro is unable to play Saturday it would leave a big hole in the Galaxy lineup, perhaps requiring a shift in formation.
Rafael Garcia took Husidic’s spot Saturday and Jaime Villarreal replaced Pedro in the 87th minute.
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