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USMNT's Michael Bradley to have surgery for injury that Jozy Altidore says was 'poorly handled' by Toronto FC

Jozy Altidore (left) blasted Toronto FC for what he characterized as the club's mishandling of an ankle injury sustained by Reds captain Michael Bradley during November's MLS Cup. (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)
Jozy Altidore (left) blasted Toronto FC for what he characterized as the club's mishandling of an ankle injury sustained by Reds captain Michael Bradley during November's MLS Cup. (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)

Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley is expected to miss the first three months of the 2020 MLS season after The Athletic reported that the 32-year-old United States national team midfielder would need surgery to repair an ankle injury.

Jozy Altidore, Bradley’s longtime teammate with both the Reds and the U.S., isn’t too happy about it. “In my opinion, it was handled poorly,” Altidore said to local reporters on Monday. “This is an injury from two months ago and it’s not the first time this happened.”

TFC general manger Ali Curtis told The Athletic’s Josh Kloke that the injury happened during the club’s loss to the Seattle Sounders in November’s MLS Cup, Toronto’s third trip to the domestic top flight’s title match in the last four years. The Canadian side won MLS Cup in 2017.

Bradley is scheduled to go under the knife Tuesday in New York after efforts to rehabilitate the ailment non-invasively failed. He’ll be sidelined up to four months in all. The Reds kick off the new season on Feb. 29 in California against the San Jose Earthquakes.

“Two months have gone by and now he’s having surgery and he’ll be out until June,” Altidore added. “I don’t think it’s good enough. He’s a guy that takes care of himself in an incredible way, [he’s an] incredible professional, he pushes himself, the group. He holds everybody to a high standard, and I think he was let down.”

Curtis didn’t immediately respond to Yahoo Sports when asked about Altidore’s comments.

Bradley signed a new contract with TFC last month. He arrived in Toronto in 2014 from Serie A outfit Roma, going on to play every minute of every playoff game in the club’s history. The 2019 MLS Cup final was his 200th appearance with the Reds.

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