Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri to undergo surgery for ACL injury

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced that midfielder Diego Valeri will undergo surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of his left knee, an injury sustained in Portland’s 2-0 win over FC Dallas on Saturday.

Surgery will be performed by Dr. Richard Edelson at Sports Medicine Oregon in Tigard, Ore., and will be scheduled once the injury has stabilized. Valeri is expected to be out at least five months.

In his second season with the Timbers, Valeri, 28, played in 33 games (32 starts), establishing Timbers MLS-club single-season record marks with 11 goals and 14 assists, including three multi-assist performances. A contender for MLS Most Valuable Player, Valeri was named a 2014 MLS All-Star and delivered the game-winning assist in a 2-1 victory over FC Bayern Munich on Aug. 6 at Providence Park. Valeri was a four-time selection to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week in 2014 and earned NASR MLS Player of the Week honors in Week 31 following a brace in a 3-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 8.