Promising Portland Timbers forward Bright Dike underwent successful surgery on Monday to repair a torn Achilles tendon, the club announced.
The 24-year-old suffered the injury during a scrimmage against the Ventura County Fusion on Friday in Ventura, Calif. He came off the pitch in the 20th minute after hearing something snap.
"I didn't do too much," Dike told The Oregonian. "I took a pivot step to trap the ball and I heard something pop. I wasn't even sprinting after the ball. I just took a pivot step. That's really all I did."
Dike is expected to be out of action anywhere between six to nine months. His absence is a huge blow to the Timbers' hopes of putting forth a solid 2011 season.
The Notre Dame alum was one of four players Portland signed to an MLS contract in October. Originally drafted No. 12 overall by the Columbus Crew in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, he failed to make the squad and signed a one-year contract with the Timbers in the USL last April.
He scored 10 goals for Portland in 2010 and was slated to compete for time against perceived Timbers starters Kenny Cooper and Colombian import Jorge Perlaza, as well as Portland's 2011 SuperDraft pick Darlington Nagbe.
"It's unfortunate and frustrating because I was really excited for the season to start," Dike said after suffering the injury. "I'm just trying to stay positive and hopefully I'll be back to play a couple of games towards the end of the season."
"It's unfortunate and frustrating, because I was really excited for the
season to start," Dike said. "I'm just trying to stay positive and
hopefully I'll be back to play a couple of games towards the end of the
season."
