UPDATE (April 24) – Sporting Kansas City striker Willy Agada is expected to miss 12 weeks (three months) after undergoing successful surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia, the club announced Monday.
The recovery timeline could see Agada sidelined through late July or early August.
Since joining SKC last June, Agada has recorded nine goals and two assists in 21 appearances across all competitions. He was the club’s golden boot winner in 2022.
ORIGINAL (April 21) – Sporting Kansas City striker Willy Agada faces a spell on the sidelines after a stress fracture was discovered in his leg, manager and sporting director Peter Vermes disclosed Thursday to local media members.
Agada is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days, after which the club would provide a recovery timeline.
The 23-year-old Nigerian, billed as a 2023 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi candidate in preseason, has 1g/0a in eight games (six starts) for SKC’s sputtering attack. Vermes said Agada has unknowingly been playing through the injury, which follows his 2022 midseason arrival and an 8g/2a season across 12 games (10 starts).
The news will test Sporting KC’s depth at striker, as Alan Pulido is still working towards full match fitness after his 2023 season debut earlier this month. That followed a year-plus spell where the Mexican star recovered from a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire 2022 season. Pulido, SKC’s club-record signing, has 14g/8a in 36 regular-season matches (28 starts) since joining from Liga MX’s Chivas ahead of the 2020 campaign.
Sporting KC also have Khiry Shelton as an option at the No. 9 spot, while Vermes confirmed that striker Dom Dwyer is on trial with the club after being waived by Atlanta United in early January. The 32-year-old former US international previously played for Sporting KC from 2012-17, scoring 68 goals in 155 games across all competitions as they won an MLS Cup (2013) and two US Open Cups (2012, ‘15).
Fighting the injury bug, Sporting KC sit bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 0W-5L-3D record and with a league-low two goals scored.
