Lawrence Ennali ruled out for season with torn ACL
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
Houston Dynamo winger Lawrence Ennali has been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL, the club announced today. The German was signed in July as the largest U22 Initiative signing in club history. Ennali was injured in Saturday’s 2-0 win at LAFC after scoring his first goal for the club earlier in the match.
The 22-year-old made his debut for the Dynamo on July 27 in the 1-0 loss to Atlas in Leagues Cup. He came off the bench in all three of Houston’s Leagues Cup matches and in the MLS matches against Toronto FC and LAFC. Fellow U22 player Nelson Quinones suffered a season-ending knee injury with the Colombian National Team before the 2024 MLS season and looks to be on the road to recovery as he has begun training. If Ennali misses nine months, an estimated timeline for an ACL tear, that would mean he returns to play next summer, in June.
Ennali has become a dynamic option off the bench for head coach Ben Olsen and has wowed Dynamo fans with his incredible pace and ability on the ball. With Ennali out, and Quinones still recovering, it will likely be a return of minutes for Brad Smith. The Australian came off the bench as a left wing option earlier this season and has shown an ability to change a game. Smith is no Ennali, by any stretch, but he will have to step back into that role.
