NYCFC fans received devastating player injury news that was sadly expected

Last Friday, New York City FC fans were delighted and happy to see their team beat Charlotte FC in the last game of the MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 series. The Pigeons won 3-1 in the hard-fought battle and will play in the Conference Semifinals. It was a great win, but as many know, there was a devastating moment that occurred during the match.

In the second half, Andrés Perea jumped up in an attempt to get the ball. But when he fell, he landed awkwardly, immediately going to the ground and voicing pain. Supporters knew it was bad, for players were urging medical staff onto the pitch, and Perea's foot was not in a proper position.

NYCFC's Andrés Perea does not deserve his injury

From that point on, it was clear that the midfielder would be out for the rest of the year. There are also questions of when and whether he will play for NYCFC again, because one can only infer about the recovery time.

The club did reveal on Monday that Perea had surgery to "repair a right lower leg fracture." It was successful, and he will begin to rehab the injury.

What the club did not reveal is how long he will be out. In addition, they did not specify what the lower leg fracture is. This could mean any part of the body below the knee. More than likely, based on how Perea's foot turned, it is in the area near the ankle. It would have been nice for NYCFC to clarify, as other leagues in the United States usually specify injuries.

This is often frustrating for fans, especially since they will sometimes get clear answers, like Keaton Parks' blood clot issues in his leg, and other times, like this time, they do not know the full story and recovery time. Will Perea be ready for the 2026 season? Will his recovery take close to a year? Could the club even give a range, like eight to ten months?

Regardless, it still stinks that he will miss time. The midfielder has been working extremely hard to become a regular player over the last two seasons. He has proven he can be a valuable contributor and an important part of the Bronx team. After all, there was a reason he was permanently aquired after he spent time on loan with the Pigeons.

Moreover, Perea is someone who does not deserve this. Of course, no player deserves an injury. Rather, he is someone who is easy to like on and off the pitch, and always appears to be happy and has a smile to share. Nobody wants to see him go through this, especially after he has become an everyday starter at the end of the year.

Hopefully, the NYCFC player will be back sooner, rather than later. Fans will miss Perea, his talent, and his smile.