United States defender Chris Richards has suffered two torn ligaments in his ankle, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said Thursday, however a source told ESPN that he is expected to be fit for the World Cup that kicks off in three weeks.
Richards has been a key player for the U.S. under coach Mauricio Pochettino and captained his country in its most recent friendly against Portugal. Pochettino names his U.S. roster for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday.
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Despite the concerning timing of the injury for the U.S., Richards is expected to be match fit within the next week and his readiness for the World Cup is not currently in doubt, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle.
The 26-year-old appeared to suffer the injury in Palace’s draw with Brentford on Sunday.
Glasner confirmed that Richards would definitely miss Palace’s final Premier League game against Arsenal this weekend and is a major doubt for their UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano next Wednesday.
“Chris will miss the Arsenal game as well, and it’s now 50/50 for him and for us if he can play in the Final in Leipzig,” Glasner told a news conference.
“He tore two ligaments in his ankle. 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.
“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 U.S. will begin its home World Cup against Paraguay in Inglewood, California, on June 12. Before that, it has warmup matches against Senegal on May 31 and Germany on June 6.
Richards has made 36 appearances for the U.S. since making his debut in 2020.
