Sporting Kansas City forward Diego Rubio suffered a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee during training on Friday and will miss the remainder of the 2016 MLS season, the club announced today.
Rubio will undergo surgery next week and will return to Sporting Kansas City for the 2017 season.
Rubio has recorded three goals and one assist in 20 appearances across all competitions since joining Sporting Kansas City on loan in March. The 23-year-old Chilean completed his permanent transfer from Spanish side Real Valladolid to Sporting Kansas City in September.
Last month, Rubio became the first player in club history to score in the MLS regular season, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League in the same year. He opened his 2016 scoring account in a 1-1 draw at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on April 27 and notched the game-winner in extra time of a 2-1 U.S. Open Cup victory over Minnesota United FC on June 15. Rubio then tallied his first goal at Children’s Mercy Park in a 2-1 Champions League defeat to Vancouver on Sept. 13.
A native of Santiago, Chile, Rubio has netted 40 goals and added 16 assists since turning professional in 2011 at age 17. After rising from the youth ranks to the senior team at hometown club Colo-Colo, Rubio moved overseas to Sporting Clube de Portugal, where he scored 22 times for Sporting B from 2011-2015. The striker made 20 first-team appearances for Sporting while also going on loan to Romanian side Pandurii Targu Jiu in 2013 and Norwegian outfit Sandnes Ulf in 2014.
Rubio earned three caps for the Chile Men’s National Team in 2011 at age 18 before playing eight matches at the U-20 level from 2012-2013.
Sporting Kansas City's push for a sixth straight appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs continues today when the club faces Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Kickoff is set for 4:28 p.m. CT with three hours of live television coverage beginning at 4 p.m. CT on 38 The Spot and SKCTV.
