USMNT suffer double injury blow on eve of World Cup
The USMNT have suffered a double injury blow ahead of their World Cup preparation games.
On the eve of two crucial World Cup preparation games, the USMNT have suffered a double injury blow that serious restricts their options at the back.
Both Miles Robinson and Chris Richards are set to miss out on the games against Belgium and Portugal, with various injuries leaving only Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, and Auston Trusty as the available central defenders in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.
The US are set to take on both Portugal and Belgium in two huge tests at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
2 - Chris Richards joins Landon Donovan (3) and Giovanni Reyna (2) as the only #USMNT players to score in multiple competitive finals (also in 2023 Concacaf Nations League). Showpiece. pic.twitter.com/5M3Fsv8qbm
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) July 6, 2025
“We hope that it’s nothing important”
Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards played in his side’s UEFA Conference League game against Lanarca, and afterwards travelled to the US. Pochettino revealed that US Soccer were aware he was feeling knee pain but made the trip regardless.
“The club gave permission to come to America and he report[ed] some problems in his knee,” Pochettino admitted. “After we were assessing him, he was training some part of the training Tuesday but he [could] not finish Wednesday and he now feels something in his knee. We hope that it’s nothing important but for tomorrow [he] is out and I don’t believe that [he] can arrive Tuesday.”
Robinson, meanwhile, picked up what Pochettino called “a minor injury in his groin” during a USMNT training session on Tuesday.
The USMNT are set to take on Belgium on 28th March at 3:30 p.m. ET, and will then take on Portugal on 31st March at 7 p.m. ET. Both games will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
USMNT squad:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johnny Cardoso (Atletico Madrid), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon); Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United); Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille)
Striding towards Saturday. https://t.co/Jc29R3ffKu pic.twitter.com/BvrckUcYqY
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) March 27, 2026
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