D.C. United’s Clyde Simms and Marc Burch to undergo surgery

D.C. United midfielder Clyde Simms and defender Marc Burch will both be undergoing surgery. Simms underwent meniscus surgery on his knee today, with Dr. Christopher Annunziata performing the procedure at Commonwealth Orthopaedics. Burch will have surgery this Thursday by Dr. Lew Schon, a foot and ankle specialist out of Baltimore, to address a fractured sesmoid bone in the right foot. Simms is expected to miss four weeks, while Burch will be out of action for four months.

A constant presence in United’s midfield, Simms started all 28 games he played in during the 2009 MLS season, captaining the squad on occasion. Simms scored his only goal of the year in the U.S. Open Cup final against Seattle. Though hernia surgery sidelined him for a few weeks in the summer, Simms appeared in 34 total matches (33 starts) and recorded 2,989 total minutes.

Burch was a consistent starter in the defensive line last season, collecting a goal and two assists throughout the course of the campaign. He played in 26 League matches (25 starts) and totaled over 2,100 minutes of play. Though he missed nearly a month late in the season with an ankle injury, Burch appeared in 32 games (30 starts) in all competitions.