Reigning league MVP Mike Magee will miss the remainder of the season and could be sidelined as many as eight months after undergoing hip surgery on Monday.
Magee – who scored 15 goals in 22 games for Chicago last season and nearly guided the Fire to a playoff berth after being traded from the LA Galaxy in May - underwent the procedure to his right hip at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo. He’s expected to miss between 6-8 months of action during the recovery, putting his availability for the beginning of the 2015 season in jeopardy.
“It’s unfortunate that Mike will be out for an extended period, but he’s been struggling this season with the injuries,” said Fire head coach and director of soccer Frank Yallop. “After consulting with our medical staff, we decided that this was the best time for Mike to have the procedure.”
Magee scored seven goals in 17 games this season for the Fire, who currently sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with eight games remaining on their schedule. He has not played since the team’s 1-0 loss to the Montreal Impact on Aug. 16.
His 17 appearances are the fewest in a season for Magee since 2007, when injuries limited him to just seven games with New York. A 12-year MLS veteran who could reach his 300th career appearance next season, Magee had appeared in at least 23 games in five of the previous six seasons before this year.
The Fire are back in action on Saturday at home against Toronto FC.
