Key USMNT defender suffers ankle injury that puts World Cup status in jeopardy

Just days ahead of manager Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-man USMNT 2026 World Cup roster, the team got some bad news after defender Chris Richards went down with an injury in his last game for English Premier League side Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner told the media on Thursday that Richards “tore two ligaments in his ankle,” and would be out for the team’s EPL match with Arsenal on Sunday, per ESPN. His status for Palace’s UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, May 27, is also in question.

“I think it’s stable, but quite swollen, and we have to deal with the swelling. He has to get back on the pitch to be available, and it takes time,” Glasner said. “He is in from sunrise until sunset having treatments and everything we can do that reduces the swelling, and of course, we have a great medical department, so we will give our best, and he will give his best — and then let’s see if we can get it done.”

The USMNT opens its 2026 World Cup run on Friday, June 12, vs. Paraguay in Los Angeles.

Chris Richards is one of the most important players on the USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino. The central defender has been indispensable under Poch and even captained the team in the last friendly. No matter what happens with the USMNT roster, if Richards is healthy, he will be one of the 11 starters on the pitch.

As of now, with Glasner’s latest update, it sounds as though Richards should still be ready to go on June 12. Still, with ankle ligaments, it’s worth keeping a close eye on as the tournament approaches.

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