Aaron Black is facing a long layoff after MRI results confirmed Meralco’s fears when he injured his right knee in the game against Magnolia last Sunday, April 28.

Test results showed that Black sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear which normally sidelines a player for six to nine months and may even take a year before truly returning to their old form.

Black is expected to undergo surgery to repair the injured knee although he is still set for further check up with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Raul Canlas.

Black went down grimacing in pain after trying to attack the defense of Hotshots big man James Laput at the 10:09 mark of the third. He appeared to have a hard time putting weight to his knee and worse, reported to have heard “something” pop before he was helped off the floor by his teammates.

The injury should be a huge blow to the Bolts, especially that the team is in the middle of a tight race for the playoff spot. 

Without Black, who has been one of the more consistent players of head coach Luigi Trillo this season, much of the load now falls under the shoulders of his backcourt running mates Chris Newsome and Chris Banchero.

Guys like Allein Maliksi and even Anjo Caram may also be needed to step up their game to plug in the hole left by Black in the rotation.