UPDATE, May 14: Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer updated the status of both players that suffered injuries in the team's 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, telling reporters on a Friday video call that standout goalkeeper Stefan Frei will miss 4-6 weeks with a sprained knee. That's an update that Schmetzer deemed a positive development considering how ominous it looked as the veteran backstop was helped off the field while putting no weight on the injured leg.
"The good news is from last night is that Stef, you know, it looked like it was going to be a significant injury -- but it is going to be termed as a sprained knee, you'll have to talk to the doctors for the exact medical thing, but there is no ACL damage in Stef's knee, which is the good news," Schmetzer said. "Now, it is a significant sprained knee, but 4-6 weeks is a lot better than 8-9 months. So we are extremely pleased about that."
The prognosis was not as positive for midfielder Jordy Delem, who subbed out of the match four minutes after kickoff with a knee injury. Schmetzer said that turned out to be a torn ACL that will require surgery, leaving the Sounders without a valuable depth piece in their midfield and back line for the foreseeable future. Star midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro, who has only featured in one match this year, remains day-to-day with right knee pain.
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei awaits a to-be-determined spell on the sidelines after getting injured midweek, but he shared on Twitter that it's not as bad as originally feared.
Frei wrote that "a few tears, but nothing important" came of the initial prognosis, though a precise update wasn't yet available. He got hurt Wednesday night in Seattle's 1-0 win at the San Jose Earthquakes, twisting his leg while landing awkwardly.
Frei got injured in the 90th minute at San Jose, colliding with teammate Shane O'Neill when looking to collect a cross. The 35-year-old was then replaced by right wingback Alex Roldan, who preserved the clean sheet because Seattle had exhausted their maximum substitution windows.
Frei was the second Sounders player to get injured against the Earthquakes, with Jordy Delem picking up an apparent knee injury early in the first half. Both the severity and recovery timeline remain unknown for the midfielder, as he and Frei look set to miss the club's Sunday evening encounter against LAFC (9:30 pm ET | FS1, FOX Deportes).
Should Frei be sidelined, look for either Stefan Cleveland or Spencer Richey to fill the club's starting goalkeeper spot. Cleveland backed up Frei in 2020, while Richey spent the last two seasons at FC Cincinnati.
