After departing Hoffeheim’s scoreless draw against Fürth at halftime over the weekend with a thigh injury, reports are suggesting that USMNT central defender Chris Richards could miss all four of the team’s final games this season.
Richards was making his second consecutive start in Hoffenheim’s central defense after missing close to two months with an earlier injury suffered while on USMNT duty.
Concerns arose after he didn’t return to the field after the halftime break, and several media reports today in Germany confirmed that he suffered what is being termed a “structural injury” in his right thigh. With only four games left in the Bundesliga before the summer break, this is seen as likely to shut him down for the remainder of the season.
Prior to his foot injury in the January/February international window, which kept him off the field for seven league games, Richards had settled into a starting role for both club and country, an important step as he heads into another summer of uncertainty.
While under contract with parent club FC Bayern through the end of the 2024-25 season, his future at the Bavarian giants is by no means certain, with Hoffenheim at the top of the list for another loan or even potential permanent transfer.
Hoffenheim are currently in eighth place and trying to claw their way up to the European spots over the final four games of the season, a factor which would provide them some degree of financial flexibility for a potential acquisition of Richards on the long-term.
As it stands, Richards is set to return to Munich following the end of his loan. Should he recover from his current injury in time, he will likely be called into USMNT duty in June for the pair of CONCACAF Nations League games in mid-June, as well as any additional friendly matches scheduled in the same window by the USSF.
