United States men's national team defender Chris Richards is working to recover from an ankle injury sustained during Crystal Palace's Premier League season, hoping to be available when the USMNT faces Paraguay in its World Cup Group D opener on Friday.
Richards suffered the injury in Crystal Palace's second-to-last league match against Brentford, which involved torn ligaments in his ankle. He missed the team's final Premier League fixture against Arsenal and did not play in the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been cautiously optimistic about Richards's recovery timeline but remains noncommittal about his participation in the tournament opener. During a pre-match press conference, Pochettino said the team would need to assess Richards further before making a final decision about his availability.
"We are never going to take a decision to play with some player that has a minimum risk," Pochettino said. "We prefer to not take a risk. That's why all of the players that are going to start, or players that are going to come from the bench, it's because they are healthy, and they are 100% fit to play."
Richards represents a significant asset to the American squad. He is considered a key centerback option and is among the most important players on the roster. His potential absence would force Pochettino to rely on alternative defensive arrangements.
The defender has begun returning to training with the full squad following his rehabilitation period. During a recent session at the National Training Center, Richards participated partially with his teammates during warm-up activities but spent additional time working on lateral motion with trainers using resistance band exercises on a separate field.
Pochettino acknowledged frustration with the extended recovery timeline. Originally, there were indications Richards might feature in the Conference League final, which raised hopes about his World Cup readiness. Those projections have shifted as the healing process has taken longer than initially expected.
"In the end, we can hope that Chris can be there," Pochettino said. "But in the end, we're going to find ourselves with a player who's coming without competing for a month, and after, we have to make the decision if he's in form to compete or not."
If Richards is unavailable, the USMNT has backup options. During recent matches, Mark McKenzie played at the center of the defensive formation, while Tim Ream lined up on the left side and Alex Freeman served as additional defensive cover. Pochettino selected five centerbacks for his 26-man roster, providing depth in case Richards cannot participate.
World Cup regulations allow teams to make medically related squad changes until 24 hours before their group-stage opener. Pochettino has until June 11 to finalize whether Richards will remain part of his tournament plans as the Americans prepare for what is expected to be a competitive Group D campaign.