U.S. men’s national team forward Ricardo Pepi could miss up to three months with a knee injury, putting him at risk of missing the Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Panama in March.
Pepi picked up the injury in PSV’s 3-2 win over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, per ESPN. The 22-year-old scored the game-winner in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, but he was switched off in the 76th minute because of the issue. PSV went on to finish 14th in the league phase and snapped Liverpool’s perfect run in European play, and the Dutch side await their knockout phase playoff opponent in Friday’s draw.
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Pardeep Cattry
The forward has been one of the USMNT’s most productive players, scoring 17 goals for PSV across all competitions this campaign. His output for the national team has also gone up in recent months, scoring three goals in the team’s last four games, a run that coincided perfectly with the start of Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure in charge of the team.
Pepi still needs to undergo further testing but PSV have ruled out an ACL tear for the player. The player could miss the club’s Champions League knockout phase playoff tie, which will take place from Feb. 11 to 19 against either Feyenoord or Juventus. Pepi might also miss the USMNT’s matches in the Concacaf Nations League, which continue with the semifinals against Panama on March 20 at SoFi Stadium.
USMNT’s injury crisis
Should Pepi miss the Nations League games, Pochettino will be in a tight spot in terms of team selection. Pepi is not the only forward who is injured at the moment – Folarin Balogun, the usual first choice in the role, will be out until April after undergoing shoulder surgery last month.
Pochettino might be able to call upon Josh Sargent and Haji Wright, who have recently dealt with their own injuries. This month, Sargent returned to play after undergoing groin surgery and notched a brace in a 5-1 win over Swansea on Saturday, scoring his first goals since October. Wright, meanwhile, is expected to return for Coventry in the coming weeks after sustaining an ankle injury in November.
Whether or not Pochettino will call upon players who took part in this year’s January camp will be worth keeping an eye on. Patrick Agyemang, the 24-year-old Charlotte FC forward, may have worked his way into the mix of a depleted forward pool after scoring twice in two games this month.
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