Atlanta United star forward Josef Martinez has a torn ACL Consultancy in his right knee and will have surgery, the team announced Sunday evening.
Martinez will miss the season after being injured in the second half of Atlanta’s regular-season opener on Saturday in Nashville. He was hurt in a battle for the ball with Nashville SC’s Dave Romney, who fell on the outside of Martinez’s right leg.
Martinez limped off the field and returned to try to play through it, but he came out a few minutes later. He left the stadium with the help of a crush Saturday night.
The 26-year-old Martinez is one of the top players in the league. He scored 27 goals in 29 appearances a season ago, including scoring in an MLS-record 15 consecutive matches from May 24 to Sept. 18. His 77 goals from 2017-19 represent the most in MLS history during a three-year span.
Martinez won MVP honors in 2018 when he scored a then-single-season record 31 goals in 34 games.
Atlanta United beat Nashville 2-1.
—Field Level Media