Richards Sidelined by Ankle Injury Ahead of U.S. World Cup Opener
Richards Sidelined by Ankle Injury Ahead of U.S. World Cup Opener
Chris Richards will not travel with the United States men's national team for their pre-World Cup friendly against Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Crystal Palace center back continues to recover from an ankle injury. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed the 26-year-old defender is remaining at the USMNT training facility in Atlanta to focus on rehabilitation, with no public timetable set for his return to full training.
Richards missed Crystal Palace's final two matches of the domestic season due to the same injury and was absent from the USMNT's 26-man roster announcement in New York City, delivering a video message in his place while remaining with his club for a European final match in Germany - a match he did not play in despite being listed as an available substitute. He has yet to train with the national team since the squad assembled.
Pochettino expressed measured concern when addressing Richards's availability for the United States' opening World Cup match against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. "The next few days are going to be key to see the possibilities to be ready or not for the World Cup," the coach said. He added that he had repeatedly asked assistant coach Jesús Pérez for formation guidance in Richards's absence, receiving only the instruction to wait. While Richards is not expected to be removed from the roster, FIFA rules require all 48 participating nations to submit finalized 26-man squads by June, with injury-related substitutions permitted up to 24 hours before a team's first match.
The injury sharpens concern over the depth of the U.S. defensive unit. Richards had been widely regarded as the team's first-choice center back and was expected to start all three Group D fixtures. The United States face Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles, Australia in Seattle on June 19, and Türkiye on June 25 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Pochettino's squad will also meet Germany in a pre-tournament friendly before departing for the West Coast. The Senegal match remains the team's immediate opportunity to establish defensive combinations in Richards's continued absence.
