When Will Felipe Mora Return To The Pitch?

Center-forward has long been a position of great concern for the Portland Timbers. Since the days of the prolific Fanendo Adi, who scored 50 goals for the club across 2014-2018, no single players has managed to tie down the striker position as their own. In the 2022 campaign, Timbers striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda only managed to chip in with 9 goals through 30 MLS appearances.

One man who could contribute in the goal column is Chilean forward Felipe Mora, who is still on the shelf for the Timbers after a second knee surgery in quick succession. Mora boasts a tally of 19 goals and 7 assists in 55 MLS appearances for the Providence Park club, with his most lucrative season coming in 2021 when he chipped in with 15 goal contributions in 29 appearances. The 29-year-old recently put pen to paper on a contract extension, keeping him in Portland through 2025.

However, Mora will need to return to fitness before he can prove worthy of his new deal. And in speaking on the most recent episode of the Soccer Made in Portland Podcast, Timbers beat reporter Ryan Clarke stated that the rough estimate of Mora's return to the pitch is likely May, or later.

Recent rumors have suggested that the club is interested in looking to the transfer market for other options at striker, with the most notable links coming from MLS insider Tom Bogert earlier this week. Bogert revealed that the Timbers are interested in bringing in Danish forward Kasper Junker from J-League side Urawa Reds on a loan deal. The 28-year-old has scored 27 goals in 62 appearances for the Japanese club.