Will Bruin undergoes successful knee surgery

The Seattle Sounders’ forward depth took a significant hit as the team announced Wednesday that Will Bruin underwent successful knee surgery earlier this week and has begun rehabilitation. The procedure – a right knee arthroscopy – was performed by Dr. Brian Cole on Tuesday, November 2 in Chicago, according to a team release.

Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey disclosed during an interview Tuesday that Bruin had undergone the procedure that day, but did not have a prognosis on whether there was a chance he could return this year. The injury occurred during the Sounders 3-0 loss to LAFC on October 26.

“He has had continuing issues in his knee, since the knee surgery he had earlier this year,” Lagerwey said. “We don’t know the results of that yet, but he is going to be shut down for some period of time.”

Lagerwey acknowledged in the interview that a surgery this close to the end of the season puts the chances that Bruin returns this year in jeopardy, but a source did add today that there is a chance he could return in time for MLS Cup, should the Sounders advance that far.

“He was playing hurt in the absence of Raul [Ruidiaz],” Lagerwey said. “He was gutting it out for us and he literally gave us every step he had left, and when he couldn’t go on any more, we had to have him go through another procedure. We hope he comes out even better on the other side of it, but we’ll have to wait and see how that looks.”

The Sounders depth at forward has been tested throughout this season, with Jordan Morris gone initially on loan, and then lost to an ACL injury. Both Bruin and Ruidiaz have missed significant time through injuries and international duty. The return of Jordan Morris on Monday thus is significant boon to the Sounders, given Bruin’s surgery and Ruidiaz’s uncertain status after aggravating his hamstring injury against the LA Galaxy.

“We have to constantly adjust in this business,” Lagerwey said. “Fortunately in that spot we have Jordan Morris now, we have Leo Chu, [and] Nico Lodeiro has played up there. We have other choices, we have other options, and hopefully we can move forward.”