It was just a week ago that it seemed as if things on the injury front were clearing for the U.S. men’s national team. Well, a lot can change in a week, especially in the bubble-wrap-or-bust world of the USMNT.
Sergiño Dest’s hamstring injury and Brenden Aaronson’s knee injury are two late problems the U.S. has been forced to confront in the days leading up to the last batch of Concacaf World Cup qualifiers. Both were originally included on Gregg Berhalter’s 27-man squad for games against Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica, although Dest’s initial inclusion was a case of wishful thinking. The injury he suffered just hours before the roster reveal was confirmed a day later, as was George Bello’s call-up to replace him.
But Aaronson’s curveball on Sunday changes the calculus even more. He suffered “knee problems” in the warmup to his scheduled Austrian Bundesliga match and was forced out as a result. The only U.S. player to appear in all 11 World Cup qualifiers to date, Aaronson has taken on a significant role for the U.S. Salzburg included him Monday on its list of players departing for international duty, but then ESPN’s Taylor Twellman reported that Aaronson will miss 2-4 weeks with an MCL injury. Earlier Monday, U.S. Soccer maintained that Aaronson was “day-to-day” and would still report to camp, but that took a turn for the worse later in the day, with the federation ruling him out of camp entirely.
