Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard will miss the rest of the MLS playoffs after undergoing surgery on Thursday, the team confirmed Monday.
Howard suffered an injury to his right groin on international duty with the United States on Friday, leaving the 2-1 defeat to Mexico in the first half.
Colorado said Howard had "a fracture of the right adductor longus" and will be sidelined for about four months.
The 37-year-old will miss the Rapids' appearance in the MLS Western Conference final against the Seattle Sounders, with the first of the two legs slated for Nov. 22.
NEWS: @TimHowardGK to undergo season-ending surgery: https://t.co/bRKptJhiF6 pic.twitter.com/94VWQ4J82s
- Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) November 14, 2016
The club's timeline will also rule out Howard for the first few weeks of the 2017 MLS season.
Howard could return for the national team ahead of the next set of World Cup qualifiers in the last week of March at home against Honduras and away to Panama.
The injury is a significant blow to the Rapids' quest to win their second MLS Cup title. Howard was the hero in Colorado's penalty shootout defeat of the LA Galaxy in the previous round.
Colorado will now turn to Zac MacMath to take Howard's place in goal. MacMath had been the starter prior to Howard's arrival in July, and put up impressive numbers, including a goals-against average of 0.76 in 17 matches.