Chris Richards, defender for the United States, has sustained two torn ligaments in his ankle, as confirmed by Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner on Thursday. However, a source indicated to ESPN that he is anticipated to recover in time for the upcoming World Cup, which starts in three weeks.
Richards has played a crucial role for the U.S. team under coach Mauricio Pochettino, having captained the squad in their recent friendly against Portugal. Pochettino is set to announce his U.S. roster for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday.
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Despite the timing of the injury being worrisome, a source has told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle that Richards is expected to regain match fitness within the week, and his participation in the World Cup remains likely.
The 26-year-old appeared to have sustained the injury during Palace’s recent draw with Brentford on Sunday.
Glasner confirmed that Richards will certainly miss Palace’s final Premier League match against Arsenal this weekend and is also uncertain for their upcoming UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano next Wednesday.
“Chris will miss the Arsenal game, and it’s now a 50/50 chance whether he can be available for the Final in Leipzig,” Glasner stated at a press conference.
“He has torn two ligaments in his ankle. While it’s stable, it is quite swollen, and we need to manage the swelling. He has to get back on the pitch to be eligible, which takes time.”
“He’s in for treatment from early morning until late at night, utilizing everything we can to reduce the swelling. With our excellent medical team, we will do our utmost, and he will as well—let’s hope we can make it happen.”
The U.S. will kick off its World Cup campaign against Paraguay in Inglewood, California, on June 12. Prior to that, they will have warm-up matches against Senegal on May 31 and Germany on June 6.
Richards has represented the U.S. 36 times since his debut in 2020.