IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Top defender Chris Richards reported to the U.S. team’s Southern California practice base Monday to participate in his first full practice with the World Cup squad.
Richards Torn two ligaments in left ankle He missed two friendlies against the United States in the past week, while playing for Crystal Palace on May 17. he was included in U.S. 26-person roster However, injured players can be replaced until Thursday night.
“We’ll see,” U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “Today is a first for the team, so it’s good that almost everyone is ready to be selected for the game.”
The United States opens its home World Cup against Paraguay on Friday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Richards, 26, had been training alone and away from his teammates in recent days in the United States, but completed the full training session in front of more than 5,500 fans at Orange County’s Great Park without any noticeable problems. Richards laughed and joked with fans while signing autographs after practice.
The Americans really want Richards to be a key contributor in the heart of the defense and are giving him every opportunity to get fit. Richards is considered the best central defender in the U.S.’s thin depth of players at key positions.
Richards has previously stated that he fully expects to play in this World Cup despite the injury setback. He missed the 2022 event in Qatar due to a hamstring injury.
Tyler Adams was briefly on the field with his teammates, but returned to the gym while practice continued. A spokesperson said the team were simply managing the Bournemouth midfielder’s workload.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
