Chris Richards won't travel for USMNT friendly as ankle injury clouds World Cup preparations for breakout star

The United States’ men’s nationalist squad already has a large wounded question people earlier the 2026 FIFA World Cup adjacent kicks off.

Chris Richards, the 26-year-old who galore judge is the champion defender connected the USMNT heading into the tournament, won’t beryllium traveling for the team’s planetary affable against Senegal connected Sunday.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino said that Richards is dealing with an ankle wounded that has kept him retired of Crystal Palace’s past 2 matches of the season. And adjacent worse for fans, there’s presently nary nationalist timetable for his return.

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Chris Richards of the United States prepares earlier the Gold Cup lucifer against Haiti astatine AT&T Stadium successful Arlington, Texas, connected June 22, 2025. The United States won 2-1. (Shaun Clark/Getty Images)

"I deliberation helium needs to support doing his rehab," Pochettino said, per the New York Post. "I deliberation it’s overmuch amended to enactment present and program to bid and [see] adjacent week however it is."

The "here" Pochettino speaks of is the USMNT grooming installation successful Atlanta, which is wherever Richards is staying portion his teammates caput to Charlotte, North Carolina, for their matchup with Senegal.

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Richards besides wasn’t contiguous for the team’s 26-man roster uncover successful New York City past week, sending a video connection alternatively arsenic helium stayed with Crystal Palace for its European last lucifer successful Germany. He didn’t play successful the lucifer contempt being disposable arsenic a sub.

Richards has yet to bid with the USMNT, and Pochettino didn’t look excessively optimistic helium would beryllium acceptable for the team’s archetypal lucifer against Paraguay connected June 12 successful Los Angeles.

Chris Richards, wearing jersey fig 3, plays for the United States during an planetary affable shot lucifer against Japan astatine Lower.com Field successful Columbus, Ohio, connected Sept. 9, 2025. (Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

"I was asking from yesterday erstwhile helium arrived to [assistant coach] Jesús [Pérez] 100 times, 'What bash you think, what bash you think, which enactment we have'" Pochettino explained. "Wait, wait, wait, wait. The reply was 'Wait, wait, wait.' It’s excessively early. We request to see. The adjacent fewer days are going to beryllium cardinal to spot the possibilities to beryllium acceptable oregon not for the World Cup."

While it’s not expected Richards volition beryllium taken disconnected the roster, FIFA requires each 48 teams to finalize their 26-man squads by June. Teams tin inactive marque injury-related roster changes up to 24 hours earlier their archetypal match.

The USMNT volition effort to get their chemistry and method skills successful cheque against Senegal, portion besides facing Germany successful a pre-World Cup affable earlier heading to Los Angeles for the commencement of their Group D schedule.

After Paraguay, the U.S. volition person Australia successful Seattle connected June 19, followed by Türkiye successful their last radical signifier lucifer connected June 25 backmost astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, California.

Chris Richards trains with the United States men's nationalist shot squad astatine Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground successful Marietta, Ga., connected March 26, 2026. (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

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But a important question people remains astatine 1 of the astir important positions connected the tract for the USMNT: halfway back. Richards is simply a earthy acceptable there, but the extent down him is acold little convincing, adjacent aft Pochettino sacrificed immoderate attacking options to bolster the defence connected his roster.

Richards was expected to commencement each lucifer for the U.S. adjacent earlier the roster was finalized, truthful it volition beryllium absorbing to spot however his wounded progresses person to the archetypal lucifer connected June 12.

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