The former Chelsea midfielder, who has scored 12 goals in his last 15 MLS appearances, has been ruled out for three to four weeks with a calf strain.
After proving a key player in New York City FC’s playoff push over the past few months, Frank Lampard is set to miss at least two of the MLS club’s four remaining regular season games.
The 38-year-old midfielder was forced off in the 42nd minute of Saturday night’s 2-2 draw with FC Dallas after suffering a calf strain, with NYCFC since announcing that he is expected to be sidelined for around three to four weeks.
He previously sat out the opening 12 matches of the season while dealing with a similar injury, but the team’s official statement noted that the former Chelsea star’s latest setback is not a recurrence of the same issue.
Since returning to full fitness this past summer, Lampard has been in outstanding form for NYCFC, bagging 12 goals in 15 starts to help keep Patrick Vieira’s men competing near the top of the Eastern Conference.
The club currently sit third in the East on 45 points ahead of Friday’s home clash against the Chicago Fire, two points behind first-placed Toronto FC having played a game more than the Canadian side.
Their chances of winning the Supporters’ Shield look slim at this stage after failing to close the seven-point gap between them and frontrunners Dallas over the weekend, but they are all but assured of a first-ever playoff appearance with just four regular season matches left.
As well as the Chicago clash, Lampard’s injury is also set to keep him out of the subsequent trip to the Houston Dynamo, but next month’s international break means he could be back in time to feature in the last two games against D.C. United and Columbus Crew SC, respectively, before the postseason gets underway.
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