United States striker Josh Sargent will miss Saturday’s friendly against Colombia and could be dropped from the Copa America roster.
A 24-year-old from O’Fallon, Missouri, Sargent scored 16 goals in 26 league games with Norwich in England’s second-tier League Championship but finished the season while playing with foot swelling.
“He’s not going to be fit to play in the Columbia game. 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 on the Copa America roster,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said Friday.
After the U.S. plays Colombia at Landover, Maryland, it meets Brazil on Wednesday in Orlando, Florida. At Copa America, the U.S. opens the tournament against Bolivia on June 23 at Arlington, Texas, faces Panama four days later and Uruguay on July 1 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Twenty-six man Copa America rosters are due June 15.
Berhalter must decide on his replacement at right back for Sergiño Dest, who tore his right ACL in April.
“Copa America is essential to the growth of this group, and I believe this is a very important tournament for us as a team. This is the last major tournament before the World Cup. We’ll have Gold Cup, but the caliber of teams does not match Copa America,” Berhalter said. “It is a building block in which to go into the World Cup confident. So I think this can build a tremendous amount of momentum amongst the group. It can bring confidence to the team.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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Copa América
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