USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter to assess injured players on ‘case-by-case basis’ before World Cup
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USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter assesses injured players on a case by case basis for the World Cup, with Weston Mckennie, Luca de la Torre and Chris Richards all facing issues
As the World Cup squad submissions draw closer, United States men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter said they will be addressing injury concerns on a case-by-case basis.
Berhalter will name his roster of 26 players from his pool of 32 on Wednesday, but a recent surge in injuries may have hampered his plans.
“Ideally we would like guys to be fit and play 90 minutes every week,” Berhalter said. “There’s less lead time to get the boys fit, so we’ll have to look at it on a case-by-case basis.”
United States manager Gregg Berhalter said injuries will be handled on a case-by-case basis
Celta Vigo midfielder Luca de la Torre has been out with a hamstring injury until just before the start of the tournament. Juventus midfielder Weston Mckennie is expected to be out for another 10 days with a quad injury, although his prognosis looks more promising than de la Torre’s.
Meanwhile, Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner has missed the last three games since sustaining a groin injury and centre-back Chris Richards has been out of play for Crystal Palace since August 27 following a leg injury.
‘You have five subs [per game]so there are some positions where, if you get in on a regular basis, you can say, ‘Okay, maybe it’s not so bad that the guy isn’t 100% fit, because you can get them out anyway,’ Berhalter said.
Weston McKennie struggled with a quad injury, but should be healthy in time for Qatar
‘So you have to take a number of things into account.’
The center back has been one of the main concerns for the US, with both Richards and Miles Robinson hurt, but Berhalter is confident he can put together a group that will succeed.
“Some of the guys we’re working with now, Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman, we’ve been able to work with them for about two weeks now, which would be a good time.
“Guys who got injured last camp, like Cameron Carter-Vickers, are back on the field now. That’s handy. Mark McKenzie plays in Belgium every week.
Eric Palmer-Brown plays in France every week. And Tim Ream plays weekly in the Premier League. That’s a good thing. So I’m pretty confident that with that group we can get four central defenders who can help us win games.”
Cameron Carter-Vickers missed US last camp with injury but should be available for World Cup