D.C. United, USA Winger Paul Arriola Confirms ACL Injury, Uncertain Timetable

D.C. United and the U.S. men's national team will be without winger Paul Arriola for the foreseeable future after he suffered an ACL injury during a preseason match vs. Orlando City.

Arriola confirmed the injury via Twitter on Monday, though he stopped short at detailing the severity of it. According to The Washington Post, the injury is a partial tear to the ACL in his right knee.

"A few days back on February 15th, as many know, I suffered an ACL injury to my right knee that will take months to recover from," Arriola wrote. "As of now it is still unclear on a timeline of events as we consult with doctors and physicians to figure out what the next best step is for myself, my career, and my knee. I want to thank everyone for their kind messages and prayers. I love you guys and I know 100% that I will be back stronger than ever."

The injury figures to keep Arriola out for at least the first few months to D.C.'s season and the USA's matches vs. Wales and Netherlands next month. It puts Arriola's involvement in June's Concacaf Nations League semifinals in serious doubt as well. World Cup qualifying begins in September, by which point it's possible, perhaps, that he's healthy–though reaching full fitness and form by that point may be a tall order.

D.C. did load up on wing talent in the offseason, with Edison Flores, Julian Gressel and the return of Yamil Asad giving Ben Olsen options while Arriola recovers, though losing Arriola's versatility and overall skill set is a significant blow. The 25-year-old California native had 14 goals and 12 assists in his last two-plus seasons with D.C. after signing as a Designated Player from Tijuana in 2017. In 33 caps with the national team, Arriola has five goals and four assists.

The injury is another hit to the USA's depth on the wings, with Tim Weah suffering another hamstring injury with Lille just as he had returned from a six-month layoff.