Orlando City’s Alexandre Pato to undergo knee surgery

Orlando City forward Alexandre Pato will undergo exploratory surgery on his right knee on September 9. The team confirmed the injury and procedure, but not any recovery timeline.

“Pato is an incredible competitor and we’re sad to see him suffer this injury. But we know he will work to get back on the field even stronger,” Luiz Muzzi, Orlando’s EVP of soccer operations and general manager, said in a release.

“We’re ready to support and help him in every way necessary through his recovery.”

The player sustained the injury during Orlando City’s 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls on August 13. This is the second time Pato will see time on the sidelines due to his knee, after missing most of the club’s 2021 season with a similar injury. 

Though he recovered well from the previous knee problem to become the team’s third-leading scorer in 2022, his clash on August 13 proved too much. After the match against the Red Bulls, Orlando head coach Oscar Pareja predicted the situation that has now been confirmed. 

“At this moment, Pato has crutches. He can’t walk,” Pareja said. “We’ll review it. Obviously we don’t have a good diagnosis now. Hopefully we’ll get him back soon.”

The blow comes at a difficult time for Orlando City, as they fight to reach a top seven slot in the Eastern Conference to qualify for the playoffs. The team currently sits in ninth place, with 33 points in 25 games and a record of 9W-10L-6D. One victory, however, would see them trump the New England Revolution in seventh place as they are one match down.