LA Galaxy midfielder Chris Pontius will be out for the remainder of the season with a groin injury that has sidelined him since mid September. The severity of the injury had been previously unannounced by the Galaxy.
“Pontius will not be available for us for the rest of the season. Should I have said that, by the way?” Galaxy coach Dominic Kinnear asked of Galaxy communications staff while addressing the media after practice on Thursday. “For Pontius, it’s his groin and it’s just not getting better.”
Kinnear also confirmed that surgery is likely to address the situation.
The 31-year-old Pontius was an offseason signing for the Galaxy. He played 1,486 minutes in 26 appearances this season. He is fourth on the team in goals scored with five, behind Ibrahimoivić (21), Kamara (11) and Alessandrini (10). Four of Pontius’ goals came in the team’s undefeated stretch of nine matches through June and July, where Pontius played a key role in the team’s success.
“He was carrying the team and scoring some very important goals for us,” Kinnear said of Pontius. “It would be nice to have him, but as of right now, we don’t.”
Pontius last appeared for the Galaxy on Aug. 24 against LAFC, when he played a full 90 minutes, but Kinnear mentioned Pontius was last available for the Toronto FC match Sept. 15. During a stretch when the team needed to pick up points in hopes of securing a playoff spot, not having a valuable asset like Pontius added an extra hurdle for the Galaxy to overcome.
“A couple times during the games, late in the games, you’re looking for a spark off the bench or something,” Kinnear said. “And I think he’s sorely missed for us right now because he’s an important part of the squad, whether he’s starting for the squad or coming off the bench.”