SouthernWorldwide.com – U.S. World Cup team defender Chris Richards fully participated in his first practice with the squad on Monday as the Americans gathered at their training facility in Southern California.
Richards sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left ankle on May 17 while playing for Crystal Palace. This injury caused him to miss the United States’ two recent friendly matches.
Despite his injury, Richards was named to the United States’ 26-player roster for the World Cup. However, the rules allow for injured players to be replaced up until Thursday evening.
“We will see,” stated U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter. “Today is the first time he is with the team, and it’s good to have nearly everyone ready to be selected for the game.”
The United States is set to begin their home World Cup campaign against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Friday night.
The 26-year-old Richards had been training individually, separate from his teammates, during recent U.S. practices. However, he successfully completed the entire team workout in front of over 5,500 enthusiastic fans at Great Park in Orange County without any apparent issues.
Following the practice session, Richards engaged with fans, laughing and signing autographs, showing no signs of his recent injury.
The U.S. team considers Richards a crucial player for the central defense, and they are providing him with every chance to recover and be match-fit. Richards is widely regarded as the top central defender within a limited pool of U.S. players for this vital position.
Richards himself has previously expressed his strong expectation to participate in this World Cup, notwithstanding the injury setback. He was notably absent from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to a hamstring injury.
In a separate development, Tyler Adams was briefly present on the field with his teammates but then returned to the gym while practice continued. A team spokesperson clarified that this was a precautionary measure to manage the workload of the Bournemouth midfielder.
