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Report: Lichaj could miss up to a month due to latest injury setback

Eric Lichaj Nottingham Forest (Getty Images)

By IVES GALARCEP

When Eric Lichaj left his first match in a month after just 45 minutes, there was reason to be concerned that he had suffered another setback.

He did, and he may require surgery that could cost him a month of playing time at a crucial time.

According to Sky Sports, Lichaj could wind up missing up to a month as he battles a groin injury that looks like it will require surgery.

Nothing official has been released by Nottingham Forest about Lichaj’s condition, but his halftime departure from Forest’s 4-1 loss to Wigan Athletic over the weekend set off alarm bells considering the start was Lichaj’s first appearance in more than a month.

The injury Lichaj is battling is likely the reason U.S. Men’s National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann chose not to call him in, and now if he misses a month of playing time, Lichaj could see his World Cup hopes fade even more.

Nottingham Forest is currently in fifth place in the English League Championship, and positioned for a place in the promotion playoffs, though a recent three-match winless streak has weakened their hold on that playoff place.

Comments

  1. Just shows how important staying healthy is to a career. You can’t become a better player in the trainer’s room. Lichaj and Gatt both seem snakebit from a health standpoint.

    Reply
    • Think this basically puts his chances if Brazil at near zero. He missed the opportunity to play vs Ukraine. It’s looking more like Cameron/Evans at RB to me.

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    • I am not saying that Lichaj is Chris Armas, but for two WC cycles, Chris Armas, who was the USMNT holding midfielder, suffered knee injuries that kept him out of two World Cups.

      My point is that sometimes injuries happen, and like braking a shoelace, they never happen at a good time.

      I hope Lichaj gets better because he is making a pretty good career in England playing this soccer game.

      Reply
  2. This stinks for Lichaj, but in terms of the National Team, he is a next cycle guy. It will no longer be an option to ignore the likes of Chandler and Lichaj in favor of guys like Evans, Parkhurst, and Beasley; their National Team window will almost certainly be closed after Brazil. The other option for Klinsmann (if he is still in his current position, which certainly cannot be a guarantee, extension or no) would be skip over those two and start grooming younger players who are in MLS i.e. Yedlin perhaps Sheanon Williams, etc.

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    • From what I have heard from pundits on twitter is that Yedlin is loved by Jurgen’s staff. I have a feeling, if Yedlin can show growth this year that he wont be in MLS long. The fact that he is so fast and good in the air will turn heads in non big 4 leagues. I think Yedlin was 3rd from the RB position in winning headers. Dude is an athletic specimen and just needs to keep improving his game.

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      • Yedlin will become the perfect RB in Klinsi’s system: he’s a dribbler; he’s athletic; he’s dangerous offensively; he holds the ball. Yedlin needs to just learn how to play defense and keep his concentration. Those will come.

      • He’s really fast (I know, the sky is blue), but I enjoy watching him use his speed in a relentless way that not all fast players do.

    • What about Cameron? He starts at RB every week in the Premier League so I would think he’ll be around post-Brazil.

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      • I agree that he will be around, for sure, he is a core player going forward. And though he plays at RB for his club, I would argue his strongest matches for the National Team have come in the center of the park, whether in midfield or defense. I am guessing Brazil will be basically it for Jones, so perhaps Cameron will partner with Bradley next cycle? It will be interesting to see.

      • While I agree Cameron has had his best performances toward the center of the field, I think that is going to be different going forward. The Pulis Stoke meant a very different kind of responsibility for the outside backs, and the transition to what Klinsi wants from his outside back was probably difficult. However, Stoke under Hughes has a style, which, whatever your criticisms of Hughes, includes attacking play from the outside backs, and Cameron has arguably been Stokes most consistent performer this year. I think he just needed time to adjust, but for me, there is no reason not to play Cameron at rightback now.

      • I believe everyone agrees (except maybe JK) that Cameron is currently our best RB option. The question becomes who will be best after the 2015 Gold Cup….

        When everyone is healthy there are multiple options at RB who will be in the picture for 2018….

        Cameron, Chandler, Lichaj, Yedlin, F. Johnson.

        With Jones, Evans, Beasley, & Beckerman all out of the picture after 2015, there will be changes. And i just don’t see Cameron remaining the #1 RB when 2018 rolls around.

      • Cameron will be almost 33 in 2018. He’ll be around after this summer, but he likely won’t be a factor in the next World Cup.

      • I disagree. I think Cameron will eventually move (back) to central defense and be a mainstay there. He’s big and athletic and his ball skills will be above average for a CB.

      • Mr. arm,

        Cameron will be around but probably not at right back.

        He’ll probably be the USMNT utility guy for a while.

        He is what they call a combo back. For example, look the careers of Sunderland’s CB pair, John O’Shea and Wes Brown.

        When they were younger and at Manchester United both of them played all across the back line and O’Shea played in midfield, in front of the back four as well. They both did that for their countries as well, Brown for England and O Shea for Ireland. Both wound up at Sunderland and now are Sunderland’s first choice CB pair.

        Or you could look at Boca who was a center back, left back and sometime defensive midfielder at Fulham and shuttled between center back and left back for the USMNT. Eventually he spent more time at center back.

        My guess is Cameron will eventually split time between center back, and holding midfielder. If he settles on one spot it will probably be as a holding midfielder like Spector is for Birmingham.

        Cameron has never been entirely convincing at RB for the US. As everyone knows, club performance does not necessarily translate to the national team. The USMNT standard is Dolo and Geoff , while very solid, is a long way from being Dolo. And younger guys like Chandler and Yedlin are probably more like what JK wants to see at right back anyway.

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