Real Salt Lake announced on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, that midfielder Diego Luna underwent successful meniscus repair surgery on Friday. The procedure was performed by Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, a U.S. Soccer Chief Medical Officer and orthopedic surgeon, in Santa Monica, California.
Luna is expected to miss the remainder of the current season after suffering a knee injury on Sept. 9 in Houston. The midfielder played 70 minutes during a 2-1 road loss that day, and an MRI identified a meniscus tear a day later. Throughout this year, Luna has recorded five goals and eight assists in 22 games across all competitions for RSL.
Dave Tenney, the Senior Director of High Performance for Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC, stated that the surgery was a success and expressed gratitude toward Dr. Mandelbaum. Tenney noted that the club's priority is providing structured, patient rehabilitation and expressed hope to see Luna back on the field in 2027.
The midfielder has returned to Utah to begin a rehabilitation process. This work is being guided by the club's performance and medical group in conjunction with Intermountain Health caretakers and facilities. The recovery process also involves the support of Dr. Anthony Buetler.
Real Salt Lake enters a congested September with a midweek matchup against the Seattle Sounders FC. The game, which was rescheduled from April 12, is set for a 7:30 p.m. MT kickoff on Wednesday. RSL currently holds an 8-12-5 record with 29 points, placing them 12th in the West and 22nd in the MLS Shield standings.
In addition to Luna's absence, several players are away on international duty. Juan Manuel Sanabria and Luc de Fougerolles are serving four-game slates for Uruguay and Canada, respectively. Kobi Henry and Colin Guske will join their respective national teams following upcoming matches, while Luca Moisa will join his camp following the trip to Seattle.
RSL is scheduled to host the New England Revolution at America First Field this Saturday. The club is looking to end a five-game home winless stretch during the match, which is expected to be the team's 16th consecutive MLS sellout.
