PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers announced today that defender Tim Karalexis and forward Benjamin Totori will miss the remainder of the 2008 season due to season-ending knee injures suffered last week.

Karalexis tore his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Atlanta on July 18, while Totori ruptured his right medial collateral ligament (MCL) during training on July 16 – the same knee he injured earlier in the season. Totori will return to the Solomon Islands on Saturday to begin his rehabilitation.

In 10 games (three starts) with the Timbers, Karalexis, 27, logged 314 minutes in 2008. He also started in the team’s exhibition matches against Monarcas Morelia (Mexico), U.A.N.L. Tigres (Mexico) and Juventus Primavera (Italy) as well as the first round U.S. Open Cup match against Hollywood United. Karalexis, a native of Boston, Mass., joined the Timbers following an offseason trade with the Charleston Battery.

Totori, 22, appeared in three regular-season matches for the Timbers this season. He joined the Timbers in May following the 2007-08 New Zealand Football Championship season with Waitakere United and played in his first two matches with the club before straining his right MCL against the Montreal Impact on May 30. He missed six league games while recovering from his injury, and last played against the Puerto Rico Islanders on July 10. Totori is a member of the Solomon Islands National Team.

The Timbers have 11 regular-season matches remaining on their 2008 USL First Division schedule.

Portland takes on the Carolina RailHawks on Thursday at PGE Park at 7 p.m.

Story provided by Portland Timbers Media. For more information visit www.portlandtimbers.com