SOCCER
Tim Weah’s injury update: Will he be able to play USMNT friendlies in September?
The 24-year-old player scored in Juventus opener against Como but had to be subbed off during halftime.
Tim Weah’s season started in a bittersweet fashion with Juventus as the player scored the second goal for the Turin based side in their 3-0 win over Como but had to be subbed off during halftime due to an injury.
Weah was included in the new head coach Thiago Motta’s starting XI, and was anxious to impress the former Bologna manager and create a positive good impression ahead of the new season.
In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Kenan Yildiz sent a low cross to the box, and, with a powerful shot, the American doubled the Vecchia Signora’s lead against their rivals. What’s more, this was Weah’s first goal for Juventus since his arrival from Lille last season.
However, the 24-year-old player got hurt during the goal’s build-up. As the players went to the dressing room, there was uncertainty about whether Weah would be able to continue in the game. After 15 minutes, the doubts were dispelled when Motta decided to change Weah for Italian defender Nicolò Savona. Immediately, the alarms rang for the USMNT since friendly games are set to be played in early September.
Tim Weah’s injury update.
Juventus announced on Tuesday that the player has a low-grade hamstring injury and is in further examination to determine more precisely how long Weah’s recovery will take.
“Following muscular problems suffered during last night’s match, Khephren Thuram and Timothy Weah underwent diagnostic tests this morning at the J|Medical, which revealed for the former a low-grade hamstring injury in his left thigh and for the latter a low-grade hamstring injury in his right thigh. New examinations are scheduled for both players in approximately 10 days’ time” stated the Italian club on their website.
The concern is palpable, as low-grade hamstring injuries take one to two weeks to recover, and he will likely miss duty with his country. The United States friendly games are scheduled for Sunday, 7 September (against Canada) and Tuesday, 10 September (against New Zealand), giving the player a short time frame to recover. Although Juventus still needs to provide a more accurate recovery time frame report, it is crucial for the club not to rush the recovery to avoid any further injuries, even if that means missing these two games with the USMNT.