LA Galaxy star Javier “Chicharito” Hernández will miss at least the rest of the season after he tore the ACL in his right knee, the team announced Friday.
Hernández will undergo surgery in the near future. It’s unclear how long the 35-year-old will be sidelined.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, there are fears that the injury could be career-ending for Hernández. His contract with the Galaxy is set to expire at the end of the season. He initially signed a three-year deal with the club in 2020 that paid him more than $19.4 million. A performance clause in his contract last season automatically triggered a fourth season and guaranteed him $7.4 million, which made him the third-highest paid player in Major League Soccer.
Hernández went down in the 24th minute of the Galaxy’s 3-2 loss to Real Salt Lake in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday. He received an open pass on an attack, and his right leg crumbled a few steps later — which sent him falling straight down to the pitch in pain. He immediately waved over training staff and was eventually stretchered off.
Hernández has scored once this season in 12 total appearances with the Galaxy. He has scored 39 goals in 80 total starts with the club.
The Mexican star got his start with Guadalajara, though he left for Manchester United in 2010. Before returning to North America, Hernandez spent time with Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United and Sevilla.
He has been a staple on the Mexican national team, too. Hernández is the country’s all-time leading scorer, with 52 goals in 109 international appearances. He did not play with the team at the World Cup last year in Qatar, where Mexico went 1-1-1 and didn’t make it out of the group stage.
The Galaxy currently hold a 3-3-9 record this season, which is the worst in the Western Conference.
