According to tv3.lt sources, young forward Armandas Kučys suffered a serious injury in the match against Finland, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
The crucial incident occurred in the 55th minute on Monday evening at Darius and Girėnas Stadium. Kučys was involved in a duel in the opponent’s half when he awkwardly twisted his knee. The referee called a foul against the 22-year-old forward, who initially got back on his feet and limped into position. However, moments later, he sat down on the pitch, and within seconds, he was forced to leave the field, unfortunately, for a long time.
An ACL tear is a severe injury that typically sidelines athletes for 7 to 9 months. This setback is even more devastating considering Kučys had recently suffered another injury to the same knee. In a previous tv3.lt interview, he revealed that a posterior ligament strain and a small bone fragment detachment had already kept him out for nearly three months.
This season, Kučys had been in exceptional form, scoring at an astonishing rate. In the Slovenian league, he netted 10 goals in 18 matches, while in the UEFA Conference League, he bagged 6 goals, helping his team, Celje, reach the quarter-finals, where they will face Fiorentina from Florence.
Since March 2024, Kučys has also been a key player for the Lithuanian national team, scoring five goals against Gibraltar, Latvia, Romania, and Finland while wearing the national colors.
Source: https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/sportas/pasiaukojimo-kaina-armandas-kucys-patyre-itin-sunkia-trauma-n1407226