Sporting Kansas City midfielder Gadi Kinda is out for the 2022 MLS season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee that will require a cartilage restoration procedure, the club announced Friday.
The 28-year-old Israeli international has been placed on the Season-Ending Injury List and will be sidelined for 7-9 months.
This is SKC’s second long-term injury to a Designated Player this year after Mexican international striker Alan Pulido’s knee injury. That update was announced in early January.
It leaves SKC with forward Johnny Russell as their lone healthy DP, recovering the roster spot Kinda occupied but not his DP tag. From there, manager and sporting director Peter Vermes is eyeing the Secondary Transfer Window (July 7 to Aug. 4) for an addition.
"Because we’ve been fiscally responsible over many years, we do have dollars to be able to do some things," Vermes said. "It’s not going to happen before this window closes, which is May 4. It will have to be in the summer window, and it will be based on a player that will help us, a player that will fit in financially to the [salary] cap. That’s how we’re going to have to deal with it, and it’s going to take a little time to figure this out."
Kinda was yet to debut this year after recording 11 goals and 12 assists across 44 regular-season games the last two seasons. The Ethiopia-born attacker originally joined Sporting in 2020 on loan from Israeli Premier League side Beitar Jerusalem before securing a permanent move.
SKC have struggled out of the gate, going 2W-6L-1D before MLS Week 9 gets underway.
