Red Bulls' Damien Perrinelle out for MLS playoffs with knee injury

The New York Red Bulls will be without defender Damien Perrinelle for the remainder of the 2015 MLS playoffs after the French center-back picked up a knee injury against D.C. United at RFK Stadium on Sunday.

Perrinelle, who has featured 28 times during the 2015 season, was stretchered off in the 51st minute in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals after falling awkwardly in a 50-50 challenge with Alvaro Saborio.

"Obviously very unfortunate about Damien," head coach Jesse Marsch said during the match. "We hope for the best right now, but we’re a little bit worried on that end. We're mildly concerned right now, hopeful that it's not terrible. We'll just have to take a couple of days and get a scan on it to see where he's at."

The knee injury diagnosis means Perrinelle will miss the reverse leg of the semifinal match against D.C. at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, as well as the remaining three potential matches to round off the 2015 MLS Cup. In his stead, the Red Bulls have defender Ronald Zubar as their first-choice replacement.