USA Striker Josh Sargent’s Copa América Participation in Doubt Due to Injury
United States men’s national team striker Josh Sargent is facing uncertainty regarding his participation in the upcoming Copa América tournament due to a lingering foot injury. The news was confirmed by manager Gregg Berhalter ahead of the team’s friendly against Colombia.
Sargent, who has been training intensively to recover from the injury, will miss the friendly against Colombia and is also at risk of missing the entire Copa América. Berhalter stated that a decision regarding Sargent’s availability will be made based on his fitness level leading up to the tournament.
The absence of Sargent poses a challenge for the U.S. team, with Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright being the other forwards on the roster. The team is also dealing with the absence of right back Sergiño Dest, who is sidelined with an ACL injury.
Berhalter mentioned that the team will explore different options to fill the vacant positions and assess the performances of the players in upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Brazil. The matches will serve as crucial preparation for the U.S. team before their Copa América campaign begins on home soil against Bolivia.
With key players facing fitness concerns and roster decisions looming, the U.S. team is focused on delivering strong performances in the upcoming friendlies to gauge their readiness for the tournament. Berhalter emphasized the importance of competitive matches against strong opponents to assess the team’s capabilities and prepare adequately for the Copa América.