Portland Timbers Midfielder Eryk Williamson To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery

By 750 THE GAME STAFF

The Timbers have been dealt another massive injury blow as midfielder Eryk Williamson will undergo season-ending knee surgery, the team announced Tuesday.

Williamson was ruled out for the Timbers contest last Saturday at Vancouver. At the time, coach Giovanni Savarese said Williamson felt some discomfort during the previous match at FC Dallas, but still played well in a match he started and played 90 minutes. However, Savarese said Williamson continued to feel the discomfort during the week in training which lead to his injury designation.

Savarese said last week the team needed more information on Williamson before making a decision on his status. Now, that decision has come. Portland will be without a top playmaker for the rest of the season.

The 25-year-old Williamson is in his sixth season with the Timbers. He had played and started in six matches this year tallying two assists. He has four goals and 17 assists in his Timbers career. He has also made six caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

The Timbers are off to a slow start, with Williamson the latest in a string of injuries to key players. Williamson, though, is the first to be ruled out for the season.

Portland (1-4-2, 5pts) hosts rival Seattle (5-1-1, 16pts) at Providence Park this Saturday night.

Pregame is at 6:30 p.m., kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on 750 The Game.

More from the Timbers offiical press release, below:

The Portland Timbers today announced that midfielder Eryk Williamson will undergo an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery on his right knee. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Richard Edelson Wednesday, April 12, in Portland.

“Eryk is an extremely important component within the team who was performing at a high level again, making it difficult news to accept,” said Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy. “We will support Eryk both on and off the field during his recovery process, and we are confident that he will make a full recovery in reestablishing himself within the team again next season.”

Williamson will miss the remainder of the season and his timeline for return is approximately nine months. He will conduct his rehabilitation with the Timbers sports medicine staff at Providence Park and at the Providence Sports Care Center.

Williamson, 25, has started in all six of his appearances this season, tallying two assists. In six seasons with the Timbers, Williamson has played in 70 matches (50 starts), recording four goals and 17 assists.

@750TheGame