Columbus Crew's Will Sands out for the 2023 season with injury

Columbus Crew player Will Sands will be out for the remainder of the 2023 Major League Soccer campaign due to a left ACL tear.

The 22 year-old defender sustained the injury in the 11th minute of the Crew's 1-0 defeat against Charlotte FC on Saturday April 24, seeing him forced off the field. After initial tests, the team confirmed the news.

"It is disappointing to lose Will for the year as a club and especially for him personally, as he was truly coming into form on the pitch early in the season. He has always attacked his preparation with great drive and positive energy, and we know he will carry that same mindset into his recovery process,” said Columbus Crew president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko.

Before picking up the season-ending injury, Sands notched two assists in seven starts for the Crew. 2023 marked his second season as a professional athlete in MLS, after debuting in 2022.

The Columbus Crew reacted quickly to Sands' injury, adding another full-back to their roster. The Crew and NYCFC agreed to a trade on Monday night (just before Primary Transfer Window closed) that sees Malte Amundsen fill in for the injured Sands. Amundsen will bring experience to the Crew defense as he was a part of the 2021 MLS Cup winning side in New York.

Amundsen will be taking on full-back duties alongside Jimmy Medranda, who Columbus signed as a free agent last December. The Crew will hope that Amundsen and Medranda will be able to step in and propel them further up the Eastern Conference table, as they currently sit in fifth place after Matchday 9.