Luke Mulholland set for back surgery, says chronic back pain is the reason

Luke Mulholland’s absence from Real Salt Lake in 2018 is finally getting an explanation, with the player himself revealing that he’s undergoing surgery after prolonged chronic back pain.

The surgery, which he doesn’t make any specific statements about, will almost certainly keep him out for a longer period. This will almost certainly elevate him to “OUT” status on the club’s injury report.

Mulholland’s Twitter post, which includes several emoji that are not transcribed below, says this has been an issue since the second day of preseason.

I’ve been battling chronic back pain since day 2 of preseason camp. Despite best efforts, doctors have ordered I undergo surgery tomorrow. I still consider myself a fortunate athlete as I’ve never missed a game due to injury until this season. This is just a minor speed bump and I’ll be back in no time.

We’ll keep our eyes open for further news on the midfielder’s absence. It does go some way toward explaining why Damir Kreilach has started every game, playing 90 minutes in all but two of them.