Fire defender Adaílton underwent a core muscle repair procedure on Tuesday and will be out approximately six to eight weeks, the club announced Wednesday.
The Brazilian last featured with the Men in Red in a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution on July 25, and emerged with an adductor strain that has kept him out of the lineup since.
Adaílton, 32, did not react well to the injection he received last week, Fire coach Frank Yallop said before the trip to Orlando last Friday.
[NBC SHOP: Buy a Fire jersey here]
"After discussing this with our medical staff, it was determined that surgery was the best course of action," Yallop said in a statement. "It's always unfortunate when a player misses an extended amount of time but this was a lingering issue that Adaílton had been struggling with for some time."
Adaílton, who joined the team on Dec. 30, 2014, scored one goal in 17 matches with the Fire this season and appeared in all three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup fixtures. Tuesday's surgery could keep the centerback out of contention as early as Oct. 13 - five days prior to an Eastern Conference showdown at D.C. United - and as late as Oct. 27, two days following the club's final regular season contest of 2015 against the New York Red Bulls.
With the defender out, the Fire will likely continue to build on the steady partnership between Eric Gehrig and Jeff Larentowicz. Depending on how quickly he settles on his return from international duty, newly acquired centerback Daneil Cyrus could become the primary backup option. Ty Harden, who recently re-aggravated his hamstring, could also provide depth to the position upon his recovery.
