Ian Glavinovich suffered a torn meniscus, Union confirm
The team’s announcement did not state the severity of the tear, or how long he would be sidelined. It did say that he had surgery Tuesday morning, and “has already begun the recovery process.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated
The Union confirmed Tuesday that Ian Glavinovich suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, two days after the centerback announced it on his Instagram account.
The injury happened early in Saturday’s game against Orlando City, and Glavinovich played through it for the rest of the night. There was no sign during the contest, which ended in a scoreless tie, that he was hurt.
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“It seems like I’m lying, but I tore the meniscus on this play,” Glavinovich wrote in his native Spanish, with the text accompanying video of the moment. “And I played 85 more minutes with pain. Now to have surgery and come back better!”
The team’s announcement did not state the severity of the tear, or how long he would be sidelined. It did say that he had surgery Tuesday morning, and “has already begun the recovery process.”
Ian Glavinovich appears to have suffered a meniscus tear. "May seem like a lie, but I tore my meniscus during this play and played for 85 minutes with lots of pain. Now it's time for surgery and to return even better than before." #doop #MLS #NewellsOldBoys
— José Roberto Nuñez (@josernunez91.bsky.social) April 6, 2025 at 5:21 PM
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Glavinovich played quite well in the game, too. The 23-year-old registered eight clearances, seven defensive recoveries, two tackles, and two interceptions. He also won nine of the 12 duels he contested, completed 43 of 49 passes, and even pitched in two shots.
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Centerback was already the Union’s weakest position, and Glavinovich’s absence will make things even worse. Jakob Glesnes and Olwethu Makhanya are the only starting-caliber players on the depth chart now. While 17-year-old Neil Pierre is a big-time prospect, he isn’t ready for the first team yet.
The Union’s next game is Saturday, a visit to New York City FC at Citi Field. The schedule beyond that isn’t overwhelming, with no midweek games until a U.S. Open Cup contest on May 6 or 7. But there are some major opponents on deck before the end of May: Atlanta United home and away, and home games against the reigning champion Los Angeles Galaxy and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
“Everything went well,” Ian Glavinovich says of his surgery. “Thanks for the messages!”
— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) April 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM
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