Timbers Young Designated Player Jose Adolfo Valencia runs during the first day of preseason training on Jan. 23. Unfortunately for Timbers fans, this may be the closest theyll see to Trencito in action this season—the Timbers announced Friday that the 20-year old would undergo knee surgery and miss 6-12 months.
  • Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers
  • Timbers Young Designated Player Jose Adolfo Valencia (No. 20) runs during the first day of preseason training on Jan. 23. Unfortunately for Timbers fans, this may be the closest they'll get to seeing "Trencito" in action this season—the Timbers announced Friday that the 20-year old would undergo knee surgery and miss 6-12 months.

Portland: Where young people go to retire have knee surgery.

The Timbers announced today that prize offseason signing Jose Adolfo Valencia—a 20-year old Colombian striker better known as "Trencito"—will undergo surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his left knee and miss 6-12 months.

Valencia, who hasn't practiced with the team since the second day of training camp due to "medical testing" that raised "red flags," will stay in Portland to rehab.

The Timbers front office had been tight-lipped about the status of their first-ever Young Designated Player, which caused speculation to run rampant about what was wrong with the Colombia U-20 National Teamer. Turns out, Portland's brass was busy working behind the scenes to amend Valencia's loan agreement from his Colombian club. The result? Trencito will not count as a Young Designated Player this season and will remain on the Timbers' Disabled List, meaning he won't take up a spot on the team’s roster or count as an international player.

“Our No. 1 priority is ensuring the long-term physical health of Jose,” said Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson. “We are pleased to have worked with his former club in Colombia on amended terms of his transfer, considering the circumstances. We are very committed to Jose as a person and as a player, and intend to return to the original terms of his transfer agreement when he returns to full health following rehabilitation.”

Read more on the Timbers' official site and follow fan reaction on #RCTID.