Defender Chris Richards trained with United States Men’s National Team on Friday, but will not be competing in Saturday’s friendly vs. Germany, according to coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Richards is dealing with an ankle injury he sustained last month.
“Well, today he was training, but still he’s not ready to compete and to play,” Pochettino said on Friday. “We have, after that game (against Germany), the possibility in the next few days to assess him and see his ankle, his revolution and then to make a decision.
“At the moment, he is still doing his recovery and is not available.”
Richards, 26, suffered a pair of torn ligaments in his left ankle on May 17 as his Crystal Palace team played Brentford in a Premier League match.
He did complete the match, but limped off the field and has not competed since. He has done individual work since Tuesday, but joined the team in training for the first time on Friday.
Despite the severity of the injury, Pochettino selected Richards for the 26-man USMNT squad.
“When we decided the squad list, we thought Chris might play in the Conference League final,” Pochettino said. “We designed the roster based on information suggesting he could play that match against Rayo Vallecano; he was even on the bench for it. Later, we thought he might be available (for the U.S. friendly vs.) Senegal but the timelines kept dragging it out. It’s frustrating, I’m not happy about it because we know Chris is a key player.”
Richards, a center back, can be replaced on the 26-man roster no less than 24 hours before the U.S. team faces Paraguay in their World Cup opener on June 12.
The native of Hoover, Ala. missed the 2022 World Cup due to a hamstring injury. He has made 36 appearances for the national team since 2020.
–Field Level Media
