By BRIAN LEWIS

The Red Bulls, already without starting keeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke for Thursday’s huge regular-season finale in Chicago, will be missing backup defensive midfielder Carlos Mendes as well. He’ll have hernia surgery in Munich that day, and miss 2-3 weeks.

He’s expected to leave for Germany tonight. Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck will perform her exclusive Minimal Repair Technique, the same operation she did on left winger Dave van den Bergh earlier this season.