New York City FC winger Malachi Jones underwent surgery after leaving the Orlando City game on Friday, June 28, with an injury in the 18th minute.
Jones posted a photo of himself on Sunday, June 30, after the surgery to his Instagram stories. It's unclear what kind of surgery Jones underwent, or how long it will take him to recover, as the club have yet to release an official statement regarding the procedure.
Updated Monday, July 1: New York City confirm that Jones broke his right tibia and fibula.
Jones was injured when he and Orlando City goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar came together early in the first half. New York City midfielder Santiago Rodríguez released Jones with a ball into the top of the penalty box, where the winger was met by a charging Stajduhar.
Earlier on Sunday, Orlando announced that Stajduhar also underwent surgery "to repair a broken tibia and broken fibula in his right leg." Stajduhar is expected to be placed on the season-ending injury list shortly.
Jones has been one of the brightest spots for a resurgent New York City. The 20-year-old signed with the team in January after being selected as the #8 overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. Before the start of the season, it was expected that Jones would spend much of the year developing at NYCFC II. But the winger made a strong impression in preseason training, and made his Major League Soccer debut in Matchday 5, when New York City played FC Cincinnati.
Since then, Jones has become a First Team regular, with 13 appearances and four starts. Jones has one goal and three assists in just 483 minutes played — the only New York City players with more assists are Rodríguez (7), Tayvon Gray (4), and Hannes Wolf (4).
On Monday, July 1, the club confirmed that Jones had surgery to repair a fractured tibia and fibula in his right leg, with New York City FC releasing a statement confirming the nature of the injury and the surgery.
We are all with you, Malachi 💙
— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) July 1, 2024
Jones successfully underwent surgery on Saturday to repair a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg, and he will commence rehabilitation this week.
No timetable was mentioned in the team's official release but Trey Fillmore of the Blue Balls podcast says it's expected to be a three-to-six month recovery period for Jones.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Oliver Strand
