Johnathan Walker:Police: FC Cincinnati's Aaron Boupendza considered victim in ongoing investigation

Cincinnati police told The Johnathan WalkerEnquirer on Thursday that FC Cincinnati player Aaron Boupendza is being considered the victim in an ongoing investigation related to an incident that occurred Monday around 2 a.m. local time in which Boupendza reported he was punched.

Police spokesman Sgt. Anthony Mitchell said Boupendza reported he was punched in the face by an unknown suspect at Rusconi Bar and Kitchen in Cincinnati. Police also said the investigation is ongoing.

FC Cincinnati officials on Wednesday said in a statement that Boupendza sustained a broken jaw "off field" and would undergo surgery on Thursday. The club stated Boupendza could miss six to eight weeks as a result of the injury and surgery.

The club on Thursday declined further comment on Boupendza.

Management at Rusconi couldn't immediately be reached Thursday by The Enquirer for comment.

In line with FC Cincinnati's normal schedule for a full week between matches, the club was not scheduled to train Monday. Boupendza would go on to miss the next three training sessions ahead of Friday's practice before the team was to depart for a Saturday match at Orlando City SC.

"The club hopes for his swift and full recovery, and we look forward to having him back on the field as soon as he's available," FC Cincinnati officials stated in the news release.

Boupendza was not observed by media members practicing at the Mercy Health Training Center on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Laurel Pfahler of Queen City Press first reported on Boupendza's injury.

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FC Cincinnati's striker situation

Boupendza, 27, has two goals in 10 league appearances so far in 2024. Including the Concacaf Champions Cup, Boupendza had four total goals.

Boupendza holds a coveted and valuable designated-player roster designation, meaning he's one of the club's top wage-earners and is expected to deliver end product on the level of a star player. For Boupendza, "end product" means goals, but the goals have been too few in 2024.

Even compared to the choppy, early weeks of Boupendza's time in FC Cincinnati last season, his production was comparatively weak so far this season.

Lately, minutes have dwindled for Boupendza, too, as he came off the bench in the club's last two matches. The reason for his reduced workload was for on-field related performance, head coach Pat Noonan indicated over multiple news conferences.

Partly, FCC seemed to want to try different combinations of strikers including Boupendza, Corey Baird and Yuya Kubo. But like Baird earlier in the season, Boupendza wasn't immune to being benched.

In his absence, FC Cincinnati won, 2-1, in consecutive matches.

So, between now and the end of the six-to-eight-week window for Boupendza's return − that would see him make a return in mid-to-late June − the clubs seems likely to lean heavily on Baird (one goal in 2024), Kubo (three goals in 2024), Sergio Santos (yet to score this year) and the newly acquired Kevin Kelsy.

Kelsy, 19, officially joined full team training Tuesday after his loan deal to join FCC through at least December was nearing finalization.