Real Salt Lake: Javier Morales thanks fans for support

SANDY Javier Morales was wheeled out of Rio Tinto Stadium on a stretcher on Saturday afternoon, with his hands covering his face the entire time.

Many of the fans in attendance chanted his name as he left the stadium, while several teammates walked up to the stretcher and wished him well.

About nine hours later, after learning of the severity of the potentially season-ending left ankle injury, Morales thanked the fans for their support via his Twitter account, @javy_mo11, in both English and Spanish.

"Thanks everyone for kind words, you make me stronger, I felt bad but you make me feel much better. I'll try to be back ASAP. THANKS!!!!."

"Muchas gracias a todos por el apoyo, la verdad me ayudan mucho en este dificil momento! Se los agradezco de corazon. JAVI."

Morales is scheduled to have surgery at the Salt Lake Regional Medical Center on Monday by team doctor Andrew Cooper.

Morales suffered a broken left tibia and fibula, dislocated ankle and some ligament damage. Cooper said Morales will be out a minimum of four months. That timetable means there's a chance he could be back for the final month of the regular season if there are no complications or setbacks.