Daryl Dike’s World Cup hopes are all but over after latest injury setback

A thigh muscle tear will sideline Dike “at least a couple months”

Daryl Dike is set to miss at least two months with a thigh muscle tear, which appears likely to spell the end of his World Cup hopes.

The West Brom striker suffered the injury in training last week, with his manager Steve Bruce saying earlier this week that the 22-year-old was “devastated” after his latest setback.

On Thursday, Bruce confirmed at a press conference that the U.S. national team forward is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Bruce said: “The scan results have confirmed our fears that he’s got a tear to his thigh muscle. Last time it was his hamstring. We’re devastated for him and for the whole lot of us. I don’t want to put a timescale on it, because that’d be unfair.

“It’s substantial, it’ll be weeks, at least a couple of months. He’s got to stay mentally strong the kid, because he’s had an awful time and the way he’s worked and the way he got himself into the condition he’s in, it’s really disappointing for him and everybody.

“He’s kicked a ball. It’s so innocuous that it’s scary. He’s tried to score a goal. It might even have been just a tap in, last minute of training session. It’s frustrating for everybody.”

Dike’s World Cup dream fading

Dike made just two appearances for West Brom after joining from Orlando City in January, suffering two separate injury setbacks.

The forward was hoping to get in the mix for a World Cup spot by staying healthy and finding goalscoring form in the new season, but instead played just one game before his latest injury.

Dike has not played for the USMNT since July 2021. An optimistic timetable for this latest injury would see Dike back in mid-October, meaning he would have only a couple weeks to regain his fitness and form in time to impress U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter.

For a player who at that point wouldn’t have been in the USMNT picture for well over a year, and wouldn’t have had an injury-free run for nearly a year, it would be a herculean task.

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