Diego Valeri just can't catch a break. One year removed from his offseason surgery to fix a sports hernia, the Portland Timbers' midfield maestro will need to go under the knife again to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Although Timbers fans held out hope that it was not so, the injury was apparent after Valeri went down under no contact in the 26' of Saturday's season finale, a 2-0 win at FC Dallas. Valeri managed to play out the remainder of the half before being taken off the pitch.

The expected time-frame for Valeri's recovery is at least five months, with six being a more historically realistic target even if the surgery goes well. A five month absence would put Valeri's return to the side near the end of March.

Without Valeri at the start of the season, the Timbers will need to lean on other players to be the force that drives their attack forward. Gaston Fernandez is the likely candidate for that duty, assuming he returns to the Timbers next year. Alternatively, Darlington Nagbe could be used in a more central role, a spot he has regularly moved into this year, although generally for shorter stints rather than full matches.

The absence of Valeri and the potential moving on of Steve Zakuani, whose Timbers career has been a frustrating run of injury and fitness issues, leaves the Timbers with holes in the depth of their attack that will need to be filled this offseason.

Although players like Michael Nanchoff and Schillo Tshuma are waiting in the wings, the Timbers could be well served by bringing in a player who can confidently step into the first team's set of the three attacking midfielders. Without shoring up the attack, as well as other needs around the field, the Timbers could be set for another disappointing start to the season in 2015, something that should be foremost in the team's minds this offseason, having just finished one point out of playoff contention.

The Timbers' press release: