USMNT defender Richards sidelined by ankle injury ahead of World Cup squad deadline
The U.S. men’s national team faces a critical assessment period for Chris Richards, with FIFA squad submissions due Monday and the tournament opener just 14 days away.
U.S. men’s national team defender Chris Richards has been ruled out of the upcoming pre-World Cup friendly against Senegal due to an ankle injury sustained while playing for Crystal Palace. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that Richards will remain in the Atlanta suburbs for rehabilitation rather than travelling to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the match scheduled for Sunday.
The injury, which Richards sustained during Crystal Palace’s draw at Brentford on May 17, has already ruled him out of the club’s Premier League finale against Arsenal and the UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano. Although he was named on the bench for the final in Leipzig, Germany, he did not participate in the game.
Richards arrived at the USMNT’s pre-World Cup training camp in the Atlanta suburbs on Friday morning but did not train with the main group on Friday or Saturday. Pochettino stated that the medical and performance staff decided Richards should not participate in group sessions to prioritise his rehab.
“We decided with Chris, with the medical staff and the performance team for him not to be part of today, the group,” Pochettino said on Saturday. “I think he needs to keep doing his rehab and I think it's much better for him to stay here and plan to train and reevaluate next week how he is.”
The coach expressed frustration at the lack of a clear timeline for Richards’ return, noting he had repeatedly asked assistant coach Jesus Perez for updates. “I was asking from yesterday, when he arrived, to Jesus 100 times,” Pochettino said. “The answer was, ‘Wait, wait, wait, wait.’ It's too early. We need to see. The next few days are going to be key to see the possibility, to see if he's ready or not for the World Cup.”
World Cup squads are due to FIFA on Monday, allowing all competing national teams to make changes until then. Teams also have the option of making a change to the roster the day before their first World Cup match if a player is ruled out through injury.
The USMNT is currently holding a pre-World Cup training camp in the Atlanta suburbs, with the tournament opener just 14 days away from the time of the report. Richards’ absence raises significant concerns regarding his availability for the tournament, as the next few days are described as critical to determining his readiness.
