Ricardo Pepi, the striker for the PSV Eindhoven and the United States national team, sustained a broken forearm during Saturday’s game. He is expected to be out for two months, as confirmed by the club.
The 23-year-old player was injured while netting PSV’s second goal midway through the first half in their 5-1 victory over Excelsior in the Dutch Eredivisie.
After landing awkwardly, Pepi was unable to continue playing and required assistance to reach the sidelines before being substituted.
Following his transfer to the hospital, PSV announced that Pepi would undergo surgery on Sunday to address the injury.
PSV head coach Peter Bosz remarked, “It didn’t look good right away, and you would prefer to look the other way in such moments.”
This injury poses a significant challenge for Pepi as the U.S. prepares to launch its World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The former FC Dallas forward may also miss the final friendlies ahead of the tournament, where the USMNT will face Belgium on March 28 and Portugal three days later.
Pepi has tallied 13 goals in 34 games for the U.S. and was a part of the squad that secured victories over Paraguay and Uruguay in November.
His goal on Saturday marked his 11th in 22 appearances for PSV this season, as he was bouncing back from a knee injury that sidelined him for the latter half of the previous season.
Bosz added, “Last January, Ricardo was already out due to his knee injury. While this injury won’t keep him out for as long, we are unfortunately losing him again. Pepi was on a great streak, had a successful training camp, and was regaining his confidence and form. All signs indicated a strong second half of the season, making this incredibly disappointing for both him and us.”