/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63225035/usa_today_11069028.0.jpg)
The New England Revolution have been without the services of starting right back Andrew Farrell since preseason due to an eye injury and now we know more details thanks to team reporter Jeff Lemieux:
Andrew Farrell ruptured his retina in a mid-February training session when a ball inadvertently ricocheted off the post and hit him in the left eye. Meeting w/ a specialist on Friday, hoping for good news. Initial timeline had him targeting early April.
— Jeff Lemieux (@jeff_lemieux) March 12, 2019
More later. #NERevs
Farrell has been listed as “out” for the first two weeks of the 2019 season with an eye injury and now we know the severity of the problem. A detached retina is a serious injury and if left untreated can lead to blindness from the injured eye. If the timetable for Farrell to return is in the next 4-6 weeks that seems to be a pretty optimistic diagnosis for a successful surgery to repair the issue and recovery to resume fitness and/or training activities.
Brandon Bye has deputized for Farrell at the right back spot in each of the first two games after getting significant time at left back to end the 2018 season. He’ll likely continue to start with Jalil Anibaba, Luis Caicedo and rookie DeJuan Jones also mentioned by Brad Friedel as possible options that the right back position.
Everyone here at TBM wishes Andrew Farrell a speedy recovery in his return to the soccer field.