American-born forward Giuseppe Rossi of Villarreal needs a third operation on his right knee and will be sidelined until 2013, the team said.
Rossi tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a game against Real Madrid on Oct. 26, had surgery and tore his ACL again during training on Jan. 13.
Rossi is a New Jersey native born to Italian parents, and he plays for Italy’s national team.