Midfielder's World Cup Summer is Suddenly in Serious Jeopardy
The 24-year-old American midfielder came off the bench for the final 33 minutes of Atletico Madrid's 1-0 Champions League semifinal second-leg defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday, with the Gunners advancing 2-1 on aggregate. Cardoso was tidy in his brief appearance, completing all ten of his pass attempts and winning two of three ground duels, though his side couldn't overcome Bukayo Saka's first-half finish.
Two days later, however, the news turned grim. Atletico announced that Cardoso had suffered a high-grade sprain of his right ankle during Thursday's training session, and the club confirmed he would begin physiotherapy and gym rehabilitation, with his return timeline dependent on how the injury progresses. He is expected to be sidelined for roughly five weeks.
The timing is particularly cruel. USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino must submit a preliminary World Cup roster by May 11, with the final 26-man squad due no later than June 1. The U.S. opens the tournament on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
Cardoso will likely make the preliminary list, but whether he recovers in time to earn a spot in the final squad remains very much uncertain.
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