Carlos Vela, the Cancun born LAFC superstar has caused quite a stir this month, not due to his incredible season which has seen him break several MLS soccer records, but because of an injury sustained on the

What Happened?

Last month, Vela was substituted in the 60th minute of the derby against local rivals, LA Galaxy due to a ‘minor hamstring injury’. After the game, it was confirmed by the team that after taking Vela for an MRI, the injury was just minor but he was going to be sidelined to allow full recovery.

Diego Perez, a spokesperson for REVIEWBOX and MLS expert stated that “despite Vela feeling OK to play, he really does need some rest. Tissue injuries like this usually take 2-3 weeks to heal fully despite the major symptoms wearing off after just a couple of days. I get it, he’s likely concerned about beating Martinez’s 2018 goal scoring record, but his health should be number one as going back to play too early could cause more damage.”

Sadly, we do have to agree with Perez on that one.

What’s Martinez’s Record?

Last season, Josef Martinez, who plays for Atlanta United, scored an impressive 31 goals, beating the previous record set by Wright-Phillips in the 2014 season. He scored goals in 9 consecutive games and broke the record 2 months before the end of the season. With Vela currently holding 27 goals for this season, he needed another 5 to beat Martinez’s record. If it hadn’t been for the injury he would’ve had a pretty solid fighting chance. However, with only three games left to play this season, the chances are pretty slim – unless he can bag a hattrick at one of the fixtures and that’s IF they choose to play him. 

Will We See Vela Play Another Game this Season?

Right now, LAFC are remaining pretty tight-lipped as to whether Vela will play or not. “The fixture on September 15th will almost signal the three-week mark for Vela…” said Perez “They may decide to give him a little run of the field at some point in the game to see how he handles it. Sources report that he’s been working around the clock to try and get another game or two in this season – let’s hope he can.”

What are your thoughts? Do you think we will see Carlos Vela play at the fixture on the 15th? Or will it be the game after? I for one hope that he’s not out for the rest of the season. Watch this space…