Is RSL's Damir Kreilach done for the season?
Is RSL's Damir Kreilach done for the season?
Pablo Mastroeni isn't ruling out Kreilach's return from back surgery on Thursday morning. But the timetable doesn't leave much room for error, either.
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On the day Real Salt Lake formally signed midfielder Diego Luna to a contract through the 2024 season (with club options in 2025 and 2026), more guidance emerged as to the reason for the club’s mid-season jaunt to El Paso, Texas to pluck the talented 18-year-old U.S. international midfielder from the USL Championship.
Just moments before announcing the signing of Luna, head coach Pablo Mastroeni revealed to club radio broadcaster ESPN 700 in Salt Lake City that the 33-year-old captain had undergone back surgery in a Los Angeles-area hospital to repair an issue that has plagued him since at least April 17.
The Vukovar, Croatia native had doctors remove a portion of a herniated disc on his spine to relieve pressure against a nerve, the club said.
“While Damir’s rehabilitation showed signs of progress, undergoing this minimally invasive procedure will give him the best opportunity for a successful long-term outcome,” said RSL head athletic trainer Theron Enns. “A timeline for Damir’s return to the field will be determined later as his rehabilitation progresses, but typically these surgeries result in a full recovery for the athlete.
“It should come as no surprise to anyone that Damir works as hard off the field in rehabilitation as he does on the field, and our staff will be with him every step of the way to assist. RSL will update his progress in the coming weeks.”
Kreilach missed much of the early season with a calf strain, then returned in time for RSL’s 6-0 loss to New York City FC, and has not been seen for over a month while recovering from a back ailment.
Now we know that his return won’t come any time soon. Tough times continue to afflict good people.
“It’s a huge spectrum,” Mastroeni said the team’s official radio partner. “Typically it’s about three months, best case scenario,” before adding that “there’s no timeline on it” from his perspective.
“If it’s this year, it’s fantastic,” he added. “If it’s not, it’s still fantastic knowing that he’s been able to overcome a nagging back injury that’s been plaguing him this season.”
Marcelo Silva has been wearing the captain’s armband for much of Kreilach’s absence in recent weeks.
After netting 16 goals with nine assists to lead the team during an MLS All-Star-caliber year in 2021, Kreilach has made just five appearances, including three starts, with one goal in 2022. All that said, the fact that RSL sits third place in the Western Conference at 7-3-4 — and just four points off league-leading LAFC for the Supporters’ Shield — is even more astounding.
He’ll stay in Salt Lake City, where he lives with his wife and children, to recover and rehabilitate. And if the team leader can return in time for the playoffs — the earliest chance of a return is September for a team whose regular season concludes Oct. 9 — then all the better.
Of course, that’s without any recovery hiccups, a possible perfect timeline of re-emerging with the team. So Kreilach’s injury helps explain why Real Salt Lake went to get Luna immediately, signing the USL Championship star to a guaranteed contract through 2024 to fill a hole in attacking midfield. The club has an abundance of talent on the wing — from Sergio Cordova to Jefferson Savarino to a re-emerging Maikel Chang and Anderson Julio, to say nothing of established veterans like Justin Meram.
Luna is most likely to fill in centrally, a true playmaking No. 10 in the midfield.
A Northern California native, Luna also spent time with the San Jose Earthquakes’ academy, which owns his homegrown priority rights. So RSL sent the Quakes $50,000 in general allocation money for the move, in addition to a $250,000 transfer fee to El Paso, according to several reports.
“I believe Real Salt Lake is an historic club with an amazing and vibrant fan base; I am grateful for the faith RSL has in me and my abilities, and I look forward to contributing to the team,” said Luna, who the club confirmed arrived in Utah on Wednesday. “After speaking with the front office about their strong interest and plan for me, I am convinced this was the right move for my career. I will forever be grateful to El Paso for giving me my first professional contract, and the opportunity to showcase myself as I face new challenges.”
Luna could also miss part of the season this summer to represent the United States’ Under-20 men’s national team for World Cup qualifying in Honduras this summer. New RSL teammates Jaziel Orozco and Real Monarchs goalkeeper Gavin Beavers have also been named to the preliminary roster for the qualifying tournament, with the team opening camp next Tuesday, June 7.
But because the Mexican-American dual international could be immediately available for selection for RSL’s match Saturday at Vancouver. And Luna is in form, with the permanent transfer coming off an all-league second-team finish with El Paso and a finalist for USL’s Young Player of the Year Award.
“Everyone at RSL welcomes the opportunity to further sharpen a young player such as Diego Luna on our senior roster, opening the doors of our Homegrown development paradigm to a proven, albeit young, dual national No. 10 on the ascent in his professional career,” Real Salt Lake technical director Kurt Schmid said in a club release. “Luna has blossomed in the last 18 months at El Paso, and we are excited to get him integrated into our system, to learn from Pablo Mastroeni and his staff, while also watching him assert his skills at the upcoming CONCACAF U-20 tourney this month.”