The New York Red Bulls’ onslaught of injuries continued this week when star forward Lewis Morgan underwent knee surgery and will miss the next six weeks.
His name was added to a concerning injury list, which has grown remarkably long considering the Red Bulls are preparing for just their fourth match of the 2025 MLS season on Saturday when they host Orlando City (2:30 p.m. ET) at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
With dwindling ranks, head coach Sandro Schwarz admitted that the Red Bulls are “looking inside and also outside” the organization to bolster the depth of his thinning ranks.
“This is our responsibility for the club,” Schwarz said on Thursday. “We are talking all together to find the best solution.”
The MLS transfer deadline is on April 23, ensuring plenty of time for New York to find the reinforcements that it needs, especially with Morgan’s talents missing up front.
The club was already depleted in their attacking ranks, which has relied solely on former PSG and Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who joined in December. Another one of their new signings, 20-year-old Polish striker Wiktor Bogacz, has yet to make his Red Bulls debut due to a back injury.
Ronald Donkor (shin), Serge Ngoma (abdominal), and Adri Mehmeti (thigh) were also previously on the club’s injured list. They were joined by 20-year-old Ghanaian forward Mohammed Sofo, who replaced Morgan and picked up his first-ever MLS start and goal during the home opener in Matchweek 2 on March 1 against Nashville, who picked up a groin injury and will miss two weeks.
It forced Schwarz to start 16-year-old wunderkind Julian Hall in between Choupo-Moting and Emil Forsberg during last week’s goalless draw at Atlanta. Twenty-one-year-old Dennis Gjengaar slotted into the midfield next to 22-year-old Peter Stroud.
Starting wing-back Cameron Harper suffered a knee injury during the season opener in Matchweek 2 on March 1 against Nashville and is out on a week-to-week basis, while another new signing in 21-year-old Chilean defender Marcelo Morales, awaits to make his team debut as he recovers from a knee issue.
All the while, Omar Valencia, at just 20 years old, anchored the left-back spot in Atlanta.
“It’s a big challenge now with some injuries that we have, but this is also a big, big chance for us as a group to show our face with a smaller group, maybe with more younger players,” Schwarz said. “This is a big chance, a big opportunity for us.”
