Kaká won’t be in action when Orlando City kicks off the 2016 season against Real Salt Lake at the Citrus Bowl on Sunday (2 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
Orlando announced on Sunday morning that the star midfielder will miss the season opener due to a thigh strain suffered during training this weekend. The Lions have labeled the 33-year-old as questionable for the club’s second match of the season, a home game against the Chicago Fire on Friday (7 pm ET, UniMas and UDN in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada).
“This is certainly a disappointment for the squad, especially given Ricky’s outstanding performance during the preseason,” Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath said in a statement. “That said, it seems like something from which he can recover soon. The team has trained hard all season and we are confident they will turn in a great performance with the support of a full house at the Citrus Bowl.”
Kaká, who was called up by Brazil on Thursday for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay, tallied nine goals and seven assists in 28 regular season appearances for Orlando last year.
