Canadian Soccer News has learned that the serious knee injury suffered by Nicholas Lindsay, for which he will undergo season ending surgery Wednesday, was the result of a snowmobile accident suffered over the holidays.
Several sources within the national team program and around the club today confirmed for CSN that the U-20 prospect and Toronto FC winger had been riding with friends when he was bucked from the back of the machine, tearing his ACL and MCL.
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As most professional clubs require players to sign agreements that they will not participate in hazardous activities away from their jobs, it does raise questions about what this young professional was doing on a snowmobile that day.
However, Toronto FC has declined specific comment on the injury but did say “we are fully aware of how the injury occurred” and denied involvement in circling an earlier story that suggested he had slipped on ice.
I’m not about to throw an 18-year-old under the bus - the next year is going to be hard enough. And those around the player who did speak to CSN today repeatedly stressed the quality of his character – both as a professional and as a person.
If there is a silver lining in it for Lindsay it must be, that as a professional, his club has not deserted him.
It bares reminder, players have been dropped for far less in the world of football (Adrian Serioux anybody?) and frankly, after a lack of judgment like this, he’s lucky to still be under contract.