HANOVER, N.J. – Kyle Duncan is set to miss the entire season, the New York Red Bulls defender having suffered a torn ACL two weeks ago and now facing a long layoff from the team.
Sources told Metro earlier this week that Duncan is set to have knee surgery this upcoming week. Now, the prognosis is known on just how long the young right-back will be out.
Head coach Jesse Marsch confirmed on Thursday following training that Duncan is set for surgery next week and said that the 20-year old will be out for the year.
“The prehab is going well,” Marsch said. “The injury is pretty straightforward so everyone is confident that he’ll have a full recovery.”
He suffered the injury in a recent loss at Orlando City. Duncan is in his first year back in New York. With four appearances so far, Duncan was having a smooth transition from his time in France to now being in MLS.
An overlapping right back, Duncan showed good individual marking and moved well into the final-third, frequently overlapping down the right side. He is a former member of the Red Bulls Academy system.
The Red Bulls might be in the market for a right back, at least short-term. Michael Amir Murillo is expected to be a part of Panama’s national team for this summer’s World Cup, leaving a hole in the Starting XI. When healthy and not away with the national team, Murillo has proven to be a solid selection at right back for the Red Bulls.
There is versatile defender Connor Lade who can play on the right side or the left as well as Tyler Adams, the 19-year old midfielder who has been used as a wingback at times but is better as a central midfielder.
Saying that “we need to address the outside back position,” Marsch noted Lade as an option while bringing up the name of a midfielder who might back the transition to the backline.
“Then we’ll look a little bit at Alex Muyl at outside back as well so there’s potential for that to be a solution,” Marsch said.
“We’re addressing both within the USL group to see if there’s anyone we want to promote and what else might be out there in the international market.”
Marsch said that Lade suffered a high ankle sprain two weeks ago and is “week-to-week” right now. He didn’t train on Thursday.
