New York Red Bulls midfielder Tim Cahill is expected to miss 3-4 weeks of play with a torn PCL in his right knee. The Australian midfielder suffered the injury last Saturday in New York’s 4-3 win after Real Salt Lake Yordany Alvarez delivered a hard tackle in the fourth minute. The injury will not require surgery.



Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke broke the news during an afternoon conference call with members of the media.

“It’s a very big loss to us,” Petke said. “Like I said, I think it was a very reckless and careless challenge. I don’t think it was intentional. I don’t think Salt Lake plays like that, but I think it was just a very careless challenge to the knee and it’s going to be a very big loss for us.”

Despite sustaining the injury, Cahill scored the club’s first goal of the match in the 11th minute and played up until he was substituted off in the 85th minute.

In his first full season with the Red Bulls, Cahill has enjoyed a standout campaign, tallying six goals and three in 19 starts. Cahill, who did stay in the Real Salt Lake match and scored off a Thierry Henry free kick in the 11th minute, was named to the MLS All-Star Team but withdrew on Sunday due to the injury. In June, Cahill helped the Australian National Team earn qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The former Everton and Millwall standout signed with New York on July 26, 2012.