Seattle Sounders FC officials have their fingers crossed, but it is possible that designated player Freddie Ljungberg could miss the club's inaugural game against the New York Red Bulls on March 19 after undergoing hip surgery on Friday.
The operation was performed by Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail, Colo., and Ljungberg, 31, is expected to be out for 10 to 12 weeks. The Sounders are set to begin preseason on Jan. 21 at Qwest Field.
"Freddie Ljungberg is a player that we value for the long term," Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer said in a statement. "As Freddie increased his training regimen for the upcoming season, we wanted to make sure that he was firing on all cylinders for the next two years and beyond."
Four times in the past two years, both with West Ham United and Arsenal FC, the former Swedish national team captain was sidelined with hamstring injuries. Ljungberg also suffered a calf strain during his one season with West Ham.
"As he increased his training intensity, he suffered a mild re-occurrence of the hamstring problems that have occasionally hampered him over the past two years," Hanauer said. "At that point, Freddie and the club wanted to be proactive and we decided to have him see the best hip and hamstring specialists in the country.
"It was ultimately determined that the best course of action was to repair a slightly torn labrum, and to shave a very small amount of bone where the hip meets the femur," Hanauer added. "The objective of this surgery is to eliminate the nagging injuries and to ensure that Freddie has the explosiveness necessary to be a major contributor for Sounders FC every time he steps on the pitch."
After a successful 10-year career in the English Premier League, Ljungberg announced on Oct. 28 that he would be joining the expansion Sounders in a two-year deal. The midfielder played nine seasons at Arsenal, scoring 46 goals in 216 appearances. He made the move across London to West Ham, where he debuted as the Gunners' captain in a 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Aug. 11, 2007.
His time with West Ham, though, would be sparse. Two months after announcing his retirement from international soccer, Ljungberg's contract with West Ham was terminated one year onto a four-year deal.
"I feel good," Ljungberg said at his introductory press conference in October when asked about his injuries. "Last season I had some injuries in the fall, and after Christmas, someone jumped on my rib cage and I cracked a rib at the end of the season. However, I played in Euro 2008 and I felt great. Since then I've had a break, I've been training quite hard to keep fit and feel good."
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