WWith 65 days left until the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT have suffered a major setback, says Patrick Agyeman.
The Derby County forward, who plays in the Football League Championship (English second division), suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in the first half of the Sky Bet Championship match against Stoke City, which will prevent him from taking part in the tournament.
Agyeman absent from World Cup
The 25-year-old was injured during the first half of the match against Stoke City and, after an initial medical examination, the club itself confirmed the sad news and his absence from football’s biggest tournament.
“Patrick will undergo further assessment of his injury later today. The club will provide Patrick with the highest level of medical care and rehabilitation throughout his recovery. Everyone at Derby County has our full support for Patrick at this difficult time and will continue to support him every step of the way,” the official statement began.
Derby County said: “As a result of this injury, Patrick will unfortunately be absent from this summer’s FIFA World Cup.” “It would be wrong to schedule a timeline for his recovery at this stage,” they continued, promising to provide further details and updates in due course.
“Pat, we are with you all,” the club posted on X.
The length of time he will be out is unknown, but it is estimated that his Achilles tendon injury could keep him off the field for six to 12 months.
The 25-year-old forward has made a huge impact this season, scoring 10 goals and providing four assists in 38 appearances for Derby County, and six goals in 14 appearances for the USMNT. But he is also an attacking option for Pochettino, scoring for his national team in a recent friendly against Belgium.
His absence will be a huge blow to America’s attack, forcing Argentina’s coach to reconsider his squad ahead of the World Cup.
Damion Downs, Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi and Hadji Wright complete the USMNT’s offensive options, emerging as strong candidates to join Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun. Meanwhile, Pochettino is fine-tuning his roster ahead of the deadline for announcing the final squad in May.
The World Cup begins on June 11, 2026 and concludes on July 19, 2026.
