USMNT's Richards dealing with ankle ligament damage ahead of World Cup

LONDON (AP) — United States center back Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said Thursday, three weeks before the start of the World Cup.

The 26-year-old Richards went down in the second half of Palace’s 2-2 draw with Brentford on Sunday in the Premier League. He could return for the UEFA Conference League final next Wednesday against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig.

“He tore, I think, two ligaments in his ankle,” Glasner said Thursday after confirming that Richards would sit out Sunday’s season finale against Arsenal. “It’s now 50-50 for him, for us that he can play the (Conference League) final.”

The injury will be a concern for US coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is days away from announcing his World Cup squad.

“It’s stable, but it’s quite swollen, and now we have to deal with the swelling,” Glasner said. “Of course, he needs to get back on the pitch to be available, and it will be really a race against time.

“He is in from sunrise until sunset having treatments,” Glasner added.

The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The Americans play in Group D and open against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California.