Overview
- On Tuesday Richards was cleared for full participation in U.S. training after rehabbing torn ligaments in his left ankle that he injured on May 17 while playing for Crystal Palace.
- Richards told reporters Wednesday that he feels fit to play and has not been told of any minutes limits by the medical staff.
- Coach Mauricio Pochettino retains the final decision on whether Richards starts against Paraguay, and he has been non-committal about the lineup.
- FIFA allows teams to replace injured players up to 24 hours before their first match, so the U.S. can still change its 26-man squad if Richards is judged unfit before kickoff.
- Richards’ availability matters because he is widely viewed as the U.S. team’s top center back and his presence would shape the starting back line and recovery plan before the second group game.