The United States Men's National Team received troubling news Thursday, when Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner announced that American defender Chris Richards has "two torn ligaments in his ankle and will not play this weekend and is only a 50-50 chance of playing in the UEFA Conference League final on May 27.
The news comes 21 days before the United States plays its first World Cup group-stage game against Paraguay on June 12 and four days before USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino must submit his 26-man roster to FIFA.
My take: On its own, the prognosis doesn't sound too bad, if he has a shot to play on the 27th, but this is not good news if the injury lingers. The USMNT is weak in the back to begin with; losing the best center back on the team, or having him at less than 100 percent really complicates things.
THE ASYLUM
USMNT's Richards injured
The United States Men's National Team received troubling news Thursday, when Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner announced that American defender Chris Richards has "two torn ligaments in his ankle and will not play this weekend and is only a 50-50 chance of playing in the UEFA Conference League final on May 27.
The news comes 21 days before the United States plays its first World Cup group-stage game against Paraguay on June 12 and four days before USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino must submit his 26-man roster to FIFA.
My take: On its own, the prognosis doesn't sound too bad, if he has a shot to play on the 27th, but this is not good news if the injury lingers. The USMNT is weak in the back to begin with; losing the best center back on the team, or having him at less than 100 percent really complicates things.
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