The U.S. men’s national team has confirmed the departure of striker Haji Wright from the Gold Cup roster after the Coventry City star was suffered an injury.
Injuries have plagued Wright’s recent international career but he came off the bench to score in the 5–0 win over Trinidad & Tobago to open the Gold Cup campaign, before an Achilles injury ruled him out of the victory over Saudi Arabia.
Now, a federation statement has confirmed Wright will not return this summer, with his Achilles problem forcing him to return to Coventry for further examinations.
“Always sad to see a player leave, because the group was very good, and he’s a very good guy, and adds very good quality to the group, [a] different option,” USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino said of Wright’s departure.
“He’s a player that can play in different positions in the attack. Yes, sad situation, sad for him, sad for the team, but I think we need to prioritize his process to recovery.”
The USMNT have already advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament ahead of the final group game against Haiti, for which Pochettino may opt to rotate after starting Charlotte FC’s Patrick Agyemang in the first two games of the competition.
Wright may have been in line for significant minutes, but Vancouver’s Brian White or Köln’s Damion Downs now appear set to stand in.
Per Gold Cup rules, teams are no longer permitted to name replacements for injured players after the group stage, meaning the USMNT will be forced to continue with one fewer forward on the roster.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Lose Key Striker to Injury for Remainder of Gold Cup.