BOURNEMOUTH, England — U.S. international Tyler Adams is set to be sidelined for approximately three months due to a torn medial collateral ligament, as announced by Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola on Friday.
Adams sustained the injury during the early moments of Monday’s Premier League match against Manchester United.
– Could Adams’ injury impact his World Cup preparations for the U.S.?
“Tyler has torn his MCL, so he will definitely be out for some time,” Iraola confirmed. “Based on our past experience with MCL injuries, we anticipate a recovery period of about two to three months.”
“This is a significant setback since he is a key player for us. From the moment we saw the injury occur, we suspected it could be serious.”
This injury poses a potential challenge for the U.S. team ahead of next year’s World Cup. Adams has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, including a back surgery last year, but he has remained a consistent presence for Bournemouth this season.
Adams captained the United States at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team has four friendly matches before kicking off their 2026 World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The U.S. is set to face Belgium on March 28 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Portugal at the same venue three days later, followed by Senegal in Charlotte on May 31, and then Germany in Chicago on June 6.
This report includes information from The Associated Press.