By DAN KARELL

Hertha Berlin defender John Brooks has suffered another setback in his pursuit to return to the starting lineup, but the news is not as bad as originally feared.

According to reports in Germany, Brooks missed practice on Tuesday, with Hertha head coach Jos Luhukay saying that the 20-year-old is suffering from a “knee problem” and would undergo an MRI. Following the MRI examination on Wednesday, Hertha learned that there was no ligament damage in Brooks’ twisted knee, and according to German publication BILD, he’s set to return to first team training next week once the injury heals.

The news however does mean that Brooks is likely out of Hertha’s squad for this Saturday’s match against Augsburg.

Since suffering a hyperextended elbow and forearm muscle tear on Sept. 22, Brooks hasn’t appeared in a first-team match for Hertha. He’s made the bench on two occasions, but he’s been relegated to starting for the reserve side, scoring twice in three matches for the Regionalliga side, in Germany’s fourth tier.

After watching the U.S. Men’s National Team’s scoreless draw in Scotland from the bench, Brooks earned his second cap with a start against Austria, in a match that finished in a 1-0 defeat to the USA.

The German-America, who started 26 of 29 matches last year for Hertha in their promotion campaign, has made five starts in six games for the first team this season, with all of those coming in August and September. Brooks marked his Bundesliga debut with a goal in Hertha’s 6-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt.

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What do you think of this news? Glad to hear that Brooks’ injury isn’t as serious as once thought? Worried that he hasn’t won back his starting place? Do you believe he still has a chance to make the World Cup squad?

Share your thoughts below.