U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has ruled Josh Sargent out of Saturday’s game against Colombia due to a lingering ankle injury, adding that the issue could keep him out of Copa América as well.
Sargent has been training separately from his USMNT teammates this week, as the team prepares to face Colombia at Commanders Field outside of Washington, D.C.
The Norwich City striker broke his ankle early in the season and was forced to miss four months after surgery. Though he returned in December and put together an excellent campaign, the 24-year-old periodically battled lingering effects of the injury.
Sargent was forced off the USMNT’s Nations League roster in March due to the injury, and was also removed early from both legs of Norwich’s Championship playoff semifinal loss to Leeds.
In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Berhalter was asked about the Missouri native’s health.
“We’ve been training with Josh both in the gym on the field, and he’s not going to be fit to play in the Colombia game,” the coach said. “We’ll have to see if he makes it for the Brazil game, and then we’ll have to make a decision if he makes it in the Copa América roster.”
“He’s had a nagging foot injury. We’ve been unloading him, then giving him some more and then we’ve been testing him, just to see where he’s at. And for us, it’s about how do we get him ready and prepared in a good way, and then make a decision if he’ll be available.”
Following Saturday’s game against Colombia, the USMNT will head to Orlando to face Brazil on Tuesday in its final pre-Copa América friendly. Berhalter’s side kicks off the tournament on June 23 against Bolivia.
The USMNT currently has 27 players in camp, with up to 26 players eligible for Copa América rosters. Should Sargent be unable to play, Berhalter could simply continue with every other player in camp.
The coach added that he could also bring a new player onto the roster from the USMNT’s Copa América preliminary squad, which has a maximum of 55 players.
On those choices, Berhalter said: “It’s bridge that we’ll cross when we get to it.”
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