Molino suffers third ACL injury, misses rest of MLS season and Nations League start

Ace Trinidad and Tobago attacking midfielder Kevin Molino is set to miss another year through injury, after going down clutching his right knee in training for United States Major League Soccer (MLS) team Columbus Crew on Tuesday.

Club officials confirmed today that Molino ‘will undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction on his right knee in the near future’ and is expected to be out for between nine to 12 months.

Photo: Columbus Crew and Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Kevin Molino.

The anticipated time-frame not only rules Molino out for the remainder of the MLS season but is likely to also keep him out of Trinidad and Tobago’s opening Concacaf Nations League assignments in March 2022.

Crew, the defending MLS Cup champions, signed Molino from Minnesota United in the pre-season. However, the former Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive schoolboy missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury and managed just 11 outings and one goal before his ACL gave out.


It is the third time that Molino has suffered a major ACL injury. In 2015, he missed most of the season for Orlando City SC—as well as the 2015 Concacaf Gold Cup and the semifinal round of the 2018 World Cup qualifying series—after tearing the ACL in his right knee.

He then suffered the same injury in his left knee with Minnesota in 2018 and lost another year of football.

Each time, Molino returned with a flurry of goals which ensured his services remained in high demand in the club and international game.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Kevin Molino (seated) looks for assistance during Concacaf Gold Cup play-off action against French Guiana on 6 July 2021.
(via TTFA Media)

Molino is Trinidad and Tobago’s joint sixth-highest scorer of all time with 23 goals alongside former Stoke City forward Kenwyne Jones. (Molino’s goals came in 55 appearances, while Jones got his from 90 international outings.)

Stern John, a former Crew striker, leads Trinidad and Tobago’s all-time scoring list with 70 international goals, followed by current interim head coach Angus Eve (34), Russell Latapy (29), Arnold Dwarika (28) and Cornell Glen (24).

Molino was unavailable for the entirety of Terry Fenwick’s spell as Men’s National Senior Team head coach, owing to a hamstring injury. But in July, he featured in all five outings for Eve at the Gold Cup—where he scored twice from three starts and two substitute appearances.

More from Wired868
Yorke: T&T is “closing the gap!” Coach explains Molino omission and tactics in Jamaica tie

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Dwight Yorke put a brave face on his team’s failure to Read more

Molino’s late goal fails to save T&T’s WCQ dreams; Warriors KO’d by Jamaica draw

In second half stoppage time, a path to the Jamaican goal suddenly opened up for debutante Trinidad and Tobago forward Read more

Win or lose, what next for Yorke’s red, black and white army? And what does it mean for T&T’s football?

Will the next three hours of football played by the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team define the legacy Read more

Roald Mitchell, Sween, ‘Fingers’ in T&T squad; Yorke names 26 players for Jamaica WCQ

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Dwight Yorke named 22-year-old United States-born forward Roald Mitchell in his Read more

Dear Editor: Unacceptable for SSFL’s schedule to clash with T&T’s WCQ campaign

“[…] By allowing a domestic league fixture to clash with [a Trinidad and Tobago World Cup] fixture, the organisers undermine Read more

Spicer helps T&T to point in Curaçao, but Warriors in must-win scenario against Jamaica

Trinidad and Tobago’s 2026 World Cup qualifying dreams are on the brink now, after the Soca Warriors were held to Read more

Check Also

Yorke: T&T is “closing the gap!” Coach explains Molino omission and tactics in Jamaica tie

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Dwight Yorke put a brave face …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.