Clint Dempsey's record-setting season is over.
Fulham manager Martin Jol confirmed on the club's website that Dempsey will miss Sunday's season finale against Tottenham with a hip injury, prematurely ending what has been the greatest season of the American attacker's career.
"Clint is injured so he won’t play on Sunday," Jol said on FulhamFC.com. "He’s got a problem with his left abductor, so he won’t be involved."
Fulham did not expand on the severity of the injury, one that comes with the U.S. national team's May training camp in Orlando, Fla., commencing next week. Dempsey finishes his otherwise injury-free season with a career-high 23 goals in all competitions and 17 goals in the Premier League — fourth most behind Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero.
Last week he scored the 50th Premier League goal of his career off a free kick against Sunderland in what could have been his final game in a Fulham jersey. Dempsey now braces for U.S. national team duty ahead of the summer transfer window, during which he could very well be on the move to one of his many suitors despite Fulham's wish to hang onto their leading scorer.
With the U.S. national team's first World Cup qualifier, against Antigua & Barbuda, a month away, Dempsey will have plenty of time to recover from the injury before qualifying begins.