SouthernWorldwide.com – The United States men’s national soccer team faces a significant injury concern just as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are intensifying.
Chris Richards, widely regarded as the USMNT’s top defender heading into the tournament, will not be participating in the team’s international friendly against Senegal on Sunday.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that Richards is sidelined with an ankle injury. This injury has already caused him to miss Crystal Palace’s last two matches of the season. Adding to the concern, there is currently no public timeline for his return to play.
“I think he needs to keep doing his rehab,” Pochettino stated, as reported by the New York Post. “I think it’s much better to stay here and plan to train and [see] next week how it is.”
The “here” Pochettino refers to is the USMNT training facility in Atlanta. Richards will remain at this location while his teammates travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, for their match against Senegal.
Richards was also absent from the team’s 26-man roster announcement in New York City last week. He instead sent a video message, having stayed with Crystal Palace for their European final match in Germany. Despite being available as a substitute, he did not feature in that game.
The defender has not yet trained with the USMNT. Pochettino expressed a lack of optimism regarding Richards’ potential readiness for the team’s opening match against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.
“I was asking from yesterday when he arrived to [assistant coach] Jesús [Pérez] 100 times, ‘What do you think, what do you think, which formation we have’,” Pochettino explained. “Wait, wait, wait, wait. The answer was ‘Wait, wait, wait.’ It’s too early. We need to see. The next few days are going to be key to see the possibilities to be ready or not for the World Cup.”
While it is not anticipated that Richards will be removed from the roster, FIFA mandates that all 48 participating teams must finalize their 26-man squads by June. However, teams retain the ability to make injury-related roster changes up to 24 hours before their first match.
The USMNT aims to refine their chemistry and technical skills in their upcoming match against Senegal. They will also face Germany in a pre-World Cup friendly before commencing their Group D schedule in Los Angeles.
Following their match against Paraguay, the U.S. will play Australia in Seattle on June 19. Their final group stage game will be against Türkiye on June 25, held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
A significant question mark now looms over the center-back position, a crucial role for the USMNT. Richards is a natural fit for this position, but the depth of talent behind him is considerably less assured. This is despite Pochettino’s decision to prioritize defensive reinforcements on his roster, even at the expense of some attacking options.
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Richards was expected to be a starter in every match for the U.S. even before the roster was officially set. Therefore, his injury progression leading up to the team’s first game on June 12 will be closely watched.
