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The United States men’s national team already has a big injury question mark before the 2026 FIFA World Cup even begins.
Chris Richards, the 26-year-old who many believe is the USMNT’s best defender heading into the tournament, will not travel for the team’s international friendly against Senegal on Sunday.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino said Richards is dealing with an ankle injury that has kept him out of Crystal Palace’s final two games of the season. And what’s worse for fans, there is currently no public timetable for his return.
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Chris Richards of the United States prepares before the Gold Cup match against Haiti at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 22, 2025. The United States won 2-1. (Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
“I think he needs to continue with his rehabilitation,” Pochettino said, according to the New York Post. “I think it’s much better to stay here and plan to train and [see] “Next week how is it?”
The “here” Pochettino is talking about is the USMNT training center in Atlanta, which is where Richards is staying while his teammates head to Charlotte, North Carolina, for their showdown with Senegal.
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Richards was also not present at the team’s 26-man roster reveal in New York City last week, instead sending a video message while staying at Crystal Palace for their European final match in Germany. He did not play in the match despite being available as a substitute.
Richards has not yet trained with the USMNT, and Pochettino did not seem overly optimistic that he would be ready for the team’s first match against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.
Chris Richards, wearing the number 3 jersey, plays for the United States during a friendly international soccer match against Japan at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, on September 9, 2025. (Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
“I was asking since yesterday when it came to [assistant coach] Jesus [Pérez] 100 times, ‘What do you think, what do you think, what formation do we have?'” Pochettino explained. “Wait, wait, wait, wait. The response was “Wait, wait, wait.” It’s too early. We need to see. “The next few days are going to be key to see the possibilities of being ready or not for the World Cup.”
While Richards is not expected to be removed from the squad, FIFA requires all 48 teams to finalize their 26-man squads by June. Teams can still make injury-related roster changes up to 24 hours before their first game.
The USMNT will look to control their chemistry and technical skills against Senegal, while also taking on Germany in a pre-World Cup friendly before heading to Los Angeles for the start of their Group D schedule.
After Paraguay, the United States will face Australia in Seattle on June 19, followed by Türkiye in its final group match on June 25 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Chris Richards trains with the United States men’s national soccer team at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta, Georgia, on March 26, 2026. (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
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But there remains a major question mark at one of the most important positions on the field for the USMNT: center back. Richards is a natural fit there, but the depth behind him is much less convincing, even after Pochettino sacrificed some attacking options to bolster the defense in his squad.
Richards was expected to start every game for the USA even before the roster was finalized, so it will be interesting to see how his injury progresses closer to the opener on June 12.
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