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The US men’s national team already has a major injury question mark before the 2026 FIFA World Cup even gets underway.
Chris Richards, the 26-year-old who many believe is the best defender on the USMNT heading into the tournament, will not travel to the team’s international friendly against Senegal on Sunday.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino said Richards is dealing with an ankle injury that has kept him out of Crystal Palace’s last two games of the season. And even worse for fans, there is currently no public timetable for his return.
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Chris Richards of the United States prepares before the Gold Cup match against Haiti at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, June 22, 2025. The United States won 2-1. (Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
“I think he has to continue to rehabilitate,” Pochettino said, according to the New York Post. “I think it is much better to stay here and plan to train and [see] how about next week.”
The “here” Pochettino is talking about is the USMNT training facility in Atlanta, which is where Richards is staying while his teammates head to Charlotte, North Carolina, for their matchup with Senegal.
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Richards was also not present at the squad’s 26-man unveiling in New York City last week, instead sending a video message as he stayed with Crystal Palace for its European final in Germany. He did not take part in the match despite being available as a sub.
Richards has yet to train with the USMNT and Pochettino did not seem optimistic that he would be ready for the team’s first game against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.
Chris Richards, wearing jersey number 3, plays for the United States during an international friendly soccer match against Japan at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio on September 9, 2025. (Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
“I asked from yesterday when he arrived at [assistant coach] Jesús [Pérez] 100 times, ‘What do you think, what do you think, what formation do we have'” explained Pochettino. “Wait, wait, wait, wait. The answer was ‘Wait, wait, wait’. It is too early. We shall see. The next few days will be the key to see the possibilities of being ready or not for the World Cup.”
While Richards is not expected to be delisted, FIFA requires all 48 teams to finalize their 26-man squads by June. Teams can still make injury-related roster changes up to 24 hours before their first game.
The USMNT will look to get their chemistry and technical skills in check against Senegal, while they also face Germany in a pre-World Cup friendly before heading to Los Angeles to start their Group D schedule.
After Paraguay, the U.S. will host Australia in Seattle on June 19, followed by Turkey in their final group stage match on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Chris Richards practices with the US men’s soccer team at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta, Ga., on March 26, 2026. (John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
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But a significant question mark remains over one of the most important positions on the field for the USMNT: center back. Richards is a natural fit there, but the depth behind him is far less compelling, even after Pochettino sacrificed some attacking options to shore up the defense in his roster.
Richards was expected to start every game for the US even before the streak was completed, so it will be interesting to see how his injury progresses closer to the first game on June 12.
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