The U.S. men’s national team’s first World Cup match is less than a month away, which puts Luca de la Torre in a tough spot.
Celta Vigo announced Friday that de la Torre, the U.S. midfielder who improved his situation with the national team considerably throughout the spring, is out for around three weeks with a “grade I and I fibrillar tear in the biceps femoris of his left leg”—a hamstring tear—something that puts his World Cup participation in doubt.
The 24-year-old San Diego native has found playing time hard to come by as is in La Liga after making a summer transfer from relegated Dutch side Heracles, where he was a lineup fixture. In five league appearances this season, all as a substitute, de la Torre has totaled 50 minutes of playing time. If the club’s injury timetable holds, he won’t be able to accrue any more before the U.S. World Cup roster is set, which could force manager Gregg Berhalter to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcement.
