Richards (ankle) has returned to full contact training and is confident he will be ready for the USMNT's World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12, despite being unavailable for Saturday's friendly against Germany, according to Sophia Vesely of SI. "I feel good. When I first got into camp after two long days of travel, I had a bit of a swollen ankle, but I've been doing treatment almost 24 hours per day, so I feel really good, and I'm getting ready for the opener a week from today."
Analysis:
Richards tore two ligaments in his ankle last month, missing Crystal Palace's Europa Conference League final victory and the early stages of the USMNT's pre-tournament camp, but has progressed from individual work to joining the group for Friday's team session. Coach Mauricio Pochettino retains the option to make an injury-related roster swap until 24 hours before the opener and will assess Richards in the days following the Germany friendly before making a final decision, though the Palace center-back's confidence and return to full contact training are the clearest signs yet that he will be available when the tournament gets underway.
