USMNT appears to survive two injury scares with World Cup roster announcement nearing

The U.S.men’s national team suffered two heart-in-mouth moments Sunday.Defender Chris Richards and midfielder Brenden Aaronson suffered what appear to be minor injuries while playing for their clubs in the English Premier League.

The good news for the USMNT is that neither appear all too serious.Richards, who might be the player the Americans can least afford injury to given their lack of defensive depth, stayed in the game for Crystal Palace after colliding with Brentford’s Igor Thiago, but needed help getting off the field at the end of the 2-2 draw.“He twisted his ankle,” Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner told reporters following the game.“I think he got Thiago landing on his ankle and then it twisted.

It’s quite swollen, so we have to assess it further, but hopefully he can return midweek.”Palace finish out their Premier League campaign this coming Sunday against title-hopefuls Arsenal before playing in the Europa Conference League final May 27 against Rayo Vallecano.With the U.S.

roster announcement set for the 26th at an event in lower Manhattan, Richards will presumably join the team in Atlanta, where it will begin camp.As for Aaronson, the Medford, N.J.native was taken off in the 59th minute of Leeds United’s eventual 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion with what manager Daniel Farke called a “dead leg.”“He was, even at halftime, on the bike trying to keep going,” Farke told reporters.

“It normally lasts a few days, but it was getting tighter and tighter.He should be all right for the next game.”Leeds play next on Sunday at West Ham United.Injury worries aside, the biggest ongoing story for the U.S.

continues to be Christian Pulisic’s goal drought.After sitting out Milan’s loss to Atalanta last weekend for precautionary reasons, Pulisic came off the bench and played 14 minutes in its 2-1 win over Genoa on Sunday.He did assist Christopher Nkunku’s game-winner, and had a close-range shot saved in added time, but ...