Inter Miami has suffered a major blow after announcing that rising star Facundo Farías is set to miss the entirety of the 2024 season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in its opening preseason game on Friday.
Farias went down grabbing his left knee while challenging for the ball midway through the second half of Miami's 0-0 draw with El Salvador in San Salvador. After receiving treatment on the field, he was carried off on a stretcher while grabbing his face and in obvious distress.
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"Farías suffered an injury to his left Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) on Friday, January 19 against the El Salvador national team at the Estadio Cuscatlán," Inter Miami said in a statement Saturday. "The Argentinian will undergo a surgery at Baptist Health in the coming weeks and is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season."
Farias, 21, joined Miami last summer from Argentine side Colón for a reported fee of around $5.5 million.
The attacker, capable of playing across the forward line or as an an attacking midfielder, immediately showed his potential by contributing three goals and two assists in 13 matches across all competitions as Miami won the Leagues Cup and reached the U.S. Open Cup final.
Last October, Farias received his first call-up to Argentina's senior team for World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru, though failed to make an appearance.
He was anticipated to play a significant role in the upcoming season, offering youthful legs in support of or in backup to star forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez.
Suárez made his first appearance for Miami, alongside Messi, in El Salvador.
Miami next take on FC Dallas at the Cotton Bowl on Monday as preparations continue for its opening MLS match at home to Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21.
