American soccer defender Chris Richards finds himself in a crucial recovery period as he battles to make the United States World Cup roster following a significant ankle injury that has sidelined him from upcoming team activities.
The Crystal Palace player sustained torn ligaments in both sides of his ankle during a Premier League match against Brentford that ended in a 2-2 tie earlier this month. The injury also prevented him from participating in his club’s Conference League final triumph this week.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino announced Saturday that Richards would not join the team for their preparation match against Senegal scheduled for Sunday in North Carolina, as medical staff continues to evaluate his condition.
“We decided with Chris, with the medical and the performance staff, (for him) to not be part of the group that is going to be in North Carolina playing tomorrow against Senegal,” Pochettino explained to the media.
“I think he needs to keep doing his rehab, and I think it’s much better to stay here and plan to train and reevaluate next week how he is.”
The coach revealed his ongoing concern about Richards’ status, describing frequent consultations with his coaching staff about the defender’s progress.
“I was asking from yesterday, (when Richards) arrived, to (assistant coach) Jesus 100 times: ‘What do you think, what information do we have?’. The answer was, ‘Wait, wait, wait, wait.’ Yes, it’s too early. We need to see. The next few days are going to be key.”
Meanwhile, Pochettino announced that veteran defender Tim Ream, who has earned 80 caps for the national team, will serve as team captain.
“I am so grateful that he is with us, because he’s a great captain, not only on the field, we know that, maybe more important, off the field,” Pochettino said of Ream.
“I think he has the experience, the capacity to be the leader that we want, the positive leader.”
The United States will begin their World Cup campaign on June 12 when they face Paraguay at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles in their opening Group D match. The Americans are co-hosting the tournament alongside Mexico and Canada.
