The bad news Bob Bradley rued about Mark-Anthony Kaye’s injury in the first half of the second edition of El Trafico just got worse for Los Angeles Football Club.
Per Bradley, the 23-year-old Canadian international will miss the remainder of the 2018 season and is expected to be sidelined for at least six months following surgery this coming Monday on his fractured left ankle. Kevin Baxter of the LA Times tweeted the news Thursday afternoon.
“He brings a little bit more range, a little bit more ability to get around the ball, a little bit of an ability to close down, win some balls in air, get into the box in both sides,” Bradley said after training on Thursday about Kaye. “All those things make him a little bit different.”
The midfielder, who started 20 of LAFC’s 21 games this season, picked up the injury after being fouled just outside the Galaxy's 18-yard box. Kaye writhed in pain and tears welled in his eyes as he was slowly helped off the field in the 20th minute.
“I’ll start with the worst news of the night, it’s Mark-Anthony Kaye. He fractured the inside part of his ankle and will get surgery, so that part had me in a bad mood since I got the report at halftime," Bradley said after the game.
Now, Bradley has the unenviable task of trying to replace Kaye's versatile skillset in the midfield with LAFC's most important games ahead of them.
“Mark has shown great progress this year and has been a key contributor throughout the first half of the season,” said EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager John Thorrington in a team statement. “We know he will work hard to come back and build on what has been a fantastic start to his LAFC career.”
