Originally published Saturday, December 20, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Sounders FC's Freddie Ljungberg to miss 10-12 weeks after surgery

Freddie Ljungberg, Seattle Sounders FC's designated player, had hip surgery Friday and could miss 10 to 12 weeks, putting him out for at least part of training camp and possibly the inaugural regular-season match.

By José Miguel Romero

Seattle Times staff reporter

Sounders blog

Seattle Sounders FC's run of good news and high-profile announcements stalled with the news that designated player Freddie Ljungberg is expected to miss at least part of training camp and possibly the team's inaugural game March 19 after undergoing surgery to repair a hip condition.

The 31-year-old midfielder is expected to miss 10 to 12 weeks of training, the team announced Friday, but is also expected to make a full recovery. Ljungberg also had a previous hamstring problem addressed.

Ljungberg, who in October signed a two-year contract with Seattle believed to be worth $2.5 million per season, had the operation done Friday at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo.

"Freddie Ljungberg is a player that we value for the long term," Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer said in a statement. "As Freddie increased his training regimen for the upcoming season, we wanted to make sure that he was firing on all cylinders for the next two years and beyond.

"As he increased his training intensity, he suffered a mild reoccurrence of the hamstring problems that have occasionally hampered him over the past two years. At that point, Freddie and the club wanted to be proactive and we decided to have him see the best hip and hamstring specialists in the country."

Surgeons repaired a slightly torn hip labrum and shaved a small amount of bone where the hip meets the femur.

"The objective of this surgery is to eliminate the nagging injuries and to ensure that Freddie has the explosiveness necessary to be a major contributor for Sounders FC every time he steps on the pitch," Hanauer said.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com

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