Ahead of the United States men's national team squad being announced on May 26, Chris Richards' ankle injury was a huge concern, but it looks like he and the team have avoided a major blow. Sources tell CBS Sports' James Benge that the ligament damage is not too serious and that it won't hinder his involvement in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
The Crystal Palace defender initially went off during his club's draw against Brentford on Sunday, and manager Oliver Glasner hoped that it was a minor twisted ankle, but he has been ruled out for the final day of Premier League action, where Palace will face Arsenal.
As I understand it, Chris Richards is confident that, barring a setback, the injury he suffered last week won't hinder his involvement at the World Cup. Glasner has ruled the USMNT CB out of Palace's final league game but I'm told the ligament damage is not too serious for USMNT.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) May 21, 2026
Glasner revealed that Richards has torn two ligaments in his ankle and that the ankle is still swollen four days after suffering the injury as a Europa Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano looms on Wednesday (watch live on Paramount+).
"Chris Richards will miss the Arsenal game and it's now 50-50 for us whether he can play in the final in Leipzig. He tore two ligaments in his ankle. It's stable but quite swollen," Glasner said about the condition of his center back.
With Richards' importance for club and country, his fitness is something that will be watched, especially since he previously missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for the USMNT due to an injury. A player who has taken a step forward for Palace as the club are in search of major trophies in back-to-back seasons under Glasner, Richards has appeared in 49 games in all competitions this season, scoring twice.
That's the most that any American has played for a Premier League club this season and part of why he's expected to be one of the leaders among the USMNT defenders under Mauricio Pochettino. While the injury isn't expected to sideline Richards for the World Cup, fitness could become a concern with the USMNT kicking off group stage play on June 12. While there are friendlies against Senegal and Germany ahead of that, if he doesn't feature in the Conference League final, Richards won't have played since May 17, and if he doesn't come into the USMNT camp at full fitness, he'll need to knock off the rust while the defense already has questions about who the starters will be.
If Richards can't start the World Cup, what does Pochettino do?
This is where we get into uncharted territory. Richards and Tim Ream have been the stalwarts in defense under Pochettino, and most likely one of them will wear the captain's armband during the World Cup. While Pochettino has shifted between using two and three center backs, they've been at the top of the pecking order since the Argentine started his time as manager for the USMNT.
With Richards being the right-sided option, Mark McKenzie or Auston Trusty would be the players who Pochettino would likely turn to in order to fill a spot in the defense, but there's also the issue of an aging Ream to deal with. Already 38, Ream could become the joint-oldest player to represent the USMNT at the World Cup, along with Fernando Clavijo, who was involved in the 1994 tournament, which also took place in the United States.
With Ream having dealt with an injury of his own with Charlotte FC and the need for rotation, depth was already going to be an issue for the USMNT, and it's one that is accentuated if Richards isn't at full fitness. Miles Robinson is someone who Pochettino has used to close out games for the USMNT, but moving into the starting XI for the World Cup would be a major change there.
Hope on the horizon?
While you never want to pit World Cup hopes on the back of a teenager, there is a dual-national decision that could change the fortunes of the USMNT in defense. Augsburg defender Noahkai Banks is between Germany and the United States, and he already wasn't named to the Germany squad when it was announced on Tuesday morning. While that doesn't mean that he'll be in the USMNT squad, it does keep the door open for the 19-year-old to make the USMNT squad, which would increase depth in defense. While Banks spent some time on the bench during the end of the season, he has been a strong performer for Augsburg, and his Bundesliga experience would enhance how Pochettino can lineup his defense.
