Defender "Should" Be Ready For The World Cup
US men's national team center back Chris Richards is racing against time ahead of the World Cup after Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed Thursday that he tore two ligaments in his ankle during last weekend's 2-2 draw with Brentford.
Glasner ruled Richards out of Sunday's season finale against Arsenal and called it "50-50" whether he'd be fit for Crystal Palace's UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig next Wednesday. Sources close to the player told The Athletic the final would likely come "a day or two" too soon, though he should be "good" for the World Cup. A source also told the New York Post that Richards is expected to miss just 7-8 days and could still feature in Leipzig.
Adding further optimism, Men in Blazers reported they spoke with Richards' agent, who described the injury as minor and said he shouldn't miss a single minute of the tournament.
The news is a significant relief for coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is days away from naming his World Cup squad. Richards is widely considered the USMNT's most important center back, and the Americans open Group D play against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California.
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