Portland Timbers defender Nat Borchers will miss the rest of the season.
Borchers suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during Saturday’s loss to the LA Galaxy. He will have surgery after the injury is further evaluated.
The loss of Borchers is the latest blow to a Timbers team that has battled injuries much of this season. Liam Ridgewell, the Timbers other starting center back, missed Saturday’s match with a calf injury. The club hopes Ridgewell might heal in time to play in Sunday’s match at Sporting Kansas City.
Even before the Borchers injury, reports have suggested that the Timbers were looking to sign another center back to improve their depth at the position.
Borchers, 35, is in his 12th Major League Soccer season and his second with the Timbers. His veteran leadership helped the Timbers win the MLS Cup championship last season and his personality made him a fan favorite upon his arrival in Portland before the 2015 season.
Borchers has appeared in 340 regular-season MLS games and in 27 playoff games. He also won a championship in 2013 with Real Salt Lake, the team he played seven seasons with.
