- Chris Richards injury casts doubts over World Cup
- USA without defender vs Germany
- Mauricio Pochettino “not happy”
Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards is set to miss the United States’ final pre-World Cup friendly against Germany. The Americans collide with the Germans tonight but won’t have Richards to call upon.
Chris Richards injury is an ankle issue, which saw him miss Palace’s UEFA Conference League final win over Rayo Vallecano. The centre-back picked up the injury in the Eagles’ 2-2 draw against Brentford before the final game of the Premier League campaign.
Mauricio Pochettino isn’t happy and has made his feelings clear as he prepares for one final World Cup warm-up without the 26-year-old. He is one of the USMNT’s most important football players, having earned 36 caps to date.
Richards out of USA vs Germany
Pochettino dropped news on Richards ahead of his side’s clash with Germany. He told reporters (via The Guardian):
“He’s still not ready to compete and play. I think we are going to have that opportunity in the next few days to assess him and see his ankle, and then to make a decision.”
Richards had been a mainstay in Oliver Glasner’s team throughout the season. He made 50 appearances across competitions, helping the Eagles surge to European glory.
Pochettino faces the real threat of starting the World Cup without the former Bayern Munich man. He delved further into the situation:
“There was a line of information where we were thinking that he could play that final against Rayo Vallecano in Conference League. He was on the bench of subs, you remember? After that, [we thought] he could maybe be [involved] against Senegal. In the end, the timelines [are] lengthening and [it] angers me a bit. I’m not happy, because we know Chris Richards is an important player. Of course we all know it.”
Pochettino’s anger stems from frustration as he’ll have been eager to have Richards available tonight. The Argentine coach is overseeing the USMNT World Cup campaign on home soil.
USA need Crystal Palace star
The USMNT start their World Cup campaign on June 13th when they face Paraguay in their Group D opener. That means Richards has just over a week to recover from his knee injury.
It’s been a topsy-turvy period for the Americans under Pochettino, having only participated in friendlies. They beat the likes of Australia and Japan but suffered defeats to Belgium and Portugal.
The Stars and Stripes did beat Senegal 3-2 last time out, and that was without Richards in their team. They are bidding to at least reach the knockout stages of the World Cup in their own backyard.
