US Soccer announced that USMNT captain Tyler Adams and starting central defender Chris Richards will be out for the World Cup qualifying game on Wednesday against Honduras due to injuries.
Both players were forced to leave the 2-0 loss against Canada on Sunday due to injuries, and today’s announcement confirms that both will be unavailable for the must-win home game against Honduras on Wednesday.
Adams had to be subbed out in the 69th minute with what turned out to be a hamstring strain, and Richards was forced off the field in the final minutes after catching his foot on the turf during an encounter with Iké Ugbo.
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter hinted that Richards had suffered a serious problem, stating immediately after the loss in Canada that “Chris is likely out with a foot injury, maybe broken”.
The loss of Richards likely means that Miles Robinson will be paired with Walker Zimmerman in central defense on Wednesday. Zimmerman has become one of the two presumptive starters in the middle of the defense. He was left out of the game in Canada due to a minor hamstring issue, however Berhalter already confirmed will not prevent him from playing on Wednesday.
For Adams, Kellyn Acosta will likely act as a like-for-like substitute. This will be the first game in qualifying that Adams has missed.
With the team captain Adams out, Zimmerman will likely wear the armband when the team takes the field on Wednesday night in St. Paul, Minnesota.
