Inter Miami youngster Ian Fray was helped off the pitch Friday evening after suffering a knee injury, and unfortunately it was an all-too familiar sight for MLS and Herons fans alike.
The defender previously suffered ACL tears in 2021, 2022 and 2023, drastically hampering his role a Miami side that have climbed to the top of MLS and head into the business end of the campaign as favorites to take home MLS Cup for the first time in club history.
But fortunately for the 22-year-old, he reportedly avoided a fourth ACL tear, and only injured his meniscus against Atlanta in the playoff opener Friday evening.
According to ESPN, Fray will undergo surgery in the coming days, and is expected to return to the pitch in 2025.
Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino says Fray’s injury was a serious dampener on his side’s playoff win against Atlanta to kick off the weekend.
“In the end, I think we feel not as much satisfaction as we could have in the [result] of the match, more because of Ian,” Martino said. “We are all a little bit sad.”