FC Cincinnati: Aaron Boupendza out 6-8 weeks with jaw fracture

FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza is expected to miss up to two months of games, according to a club press release Wednesday, following surgery for a jaw injury suffered off the field, team officials said in a Wednesday press release.

FCC officials announced Wednesday that Boupendza would be out six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery Thursday for a “broken jaw he suffered in an off-field injury,” according to a press release on Wednesday.

“The club expects his quick and complete recovery and we look forward to having him back on the field as soon as he is available,” FC Cincinnati officials stated in the press release.

Boupendza was not observed by members of the media practicing at Mercy Health Training Center on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Laurel Pfahler of Queen City Press first reported about Boupendza’s injury.

FC Cincinnati striker status

Boupendza, 27, has scored two goals in 10 league appearances so far in 2024. Including the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Boupendza has scored four goals in total.

Boupendza holds a coveted and valuable designated player roster designation, meaning he is one of the club’s biggest earners and is expected to deliver the end product at a playmaker level. For Boupendza, “final product” means goals, but the goals were very few in 2024.

Even compared to the eventful first few weeks of Boupendza’s time at FC Cincinnati last season, his production has been comparatively lackluster so far this season.

Minutes have also dwindled for Boupendza as of late, as he has come off the bench in the club’s last two matches. The reason for his reduced workload was performance on the field, coach Pat Noonan indicated in several press conferences.

In part, FCC seemed to want to experiment with different combinations of forwards, including Boupendza, Corey Baird and Yuya Kubo. But like Baird earlier in the season, Boupendza was not immune to being banned.

In his absence, FC Cincinnati won 2-1 in consecutive games.

So between now and the end of the six to eight week window for Boupendza’s return – which would see him return in mid-June – clubs look likely to rely heavily on Baird (one goal in 2024), Kubo (three goals in 2024), Sergio Santos (still without scoring this year) and the recently acquired Kevin Kelsy.

Kelsy, 19, officially joined the team’s full training camp on Tuesday after her loan deal to join the FCC until at least December was nearly finalized.

This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati: Aaron Boupendza out 6-8 weeks with jaw fracture