Atlanta United fullback Greg Garza said he’s not in pain after suffering a separated right shoulder within the first three minutes of the start of the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday against Real Madrid at Soldier Field.
Garza, wearing a black sling, said he is scheduled to have an MRI on Thursday in Atlanta.
Garza said his shoulder popped out of place after he hit the ground following a collision with a Real Madrid player.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and hopefully I’ll be here next year,” Garza, 25, said.
Garza made the MLS All-Star team by virtue of the fan’s vote. He leads the league’s defenders in chances created this season (26), has scored one goal and has three assists.
He joined teammates Miguel Almiron and Michael Parkhurst. Garza was the only one of the trio to start on Wednesday.
“It’s terrible, disappointing,” Parkhurst said of Garza’s injury. “Hopefully it’s not too bad. You never want to see a teammate go do down. That’s a tough one. Hopefully he will bounce back.”
There are three degrees of separation, according to the website orthoinfo.aaos.org:
“A mild shoulder separation involves a sprain of the AC (acromioclavicular) ligament that does not move the collarbone and looks normal on X-rays.
“A more serious injury tears the AC ligament and sprains or slightly tears the coracoclavicular (CC) ligament, putting the collarbone out of alignment to some extent.
“The most severe shoulder separation completely tears both the AC and CC ligaments and puts the AC joint noticeably out of position.”
Garza is on loan to Atlanta United from Tijuana in LIGA MX.
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