FAYETTEVILLE — Chris Richards will miss the United States men's national team friendly against Senegal on Sunday after tearing two ligaments in his left ankle while playing for Crystal Palace on May 17. Richards arrived at U.S. training camp in Fayetteville, Georgia, on Friday but did not train with the team that day or on Saturday.

U.S. medical and performance staff assessed Richards after his arrival. Following the evaluation, he remained in Fayetteville and did not travel with the squad to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the match against Senegal. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said, "I think he needs to keep doing his rehab and I think it’s much better to stay here and plan to train and re-evaluate next week how he is." Pochettino acknowledged uncertainty about Richards’ availability for the upcoming World Cup, saying, "We need to see. The next few days are going to be key, to see the possibility to be ready or not on the World Cup."

Richards, 26, is considered the best American central defender, a position the U.S. player pool lacks depth in. He was available as a substitute for Crystal Palace in the UEFA Conference League final on May 27 but did not play. Richards missed the 2022 World Cup due to a hamstring injury.

The U.S. must submit its final 26-player World Cup roster to FIFA by June 1 but can replace injured players until June 11. Other central defenders on the roster include Tim Ream, Auston Trusty, Mark McKenzie, and Miles Robinson. Possible replacements for Richards include Vancouver’s Tristan Blackmon and Toronto’s Walker Zimmerman, who was part of the 2022 U.S. World Cup team. The U.S. men’s national team will face Paraguay in its first World Cup match on June 12 in Los Angeles, following a pre-World Cup friendly against Germany after the Senegal game.