By IVES GALARCEP
Josh Gatt has had some bad luck with injuries in his young professional career, and it appears his latest injury is going to cost him a chance to impress Jurgen Klinsmann.
The knee injury suffered by Gatt in last weekend’s club match with Molde will force him to miss the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, sources confirmed to SBI on Wednesday. It remains unclear just what the specifics of the knee injury are, but Gatt’s injury is significant enough that he will not be able to take his place on the U.S. Gold Cup squad.
The injury is a crushing blow for the 21-year-old Gatt, who was expected to challenge for a regular wing midfield role on the Gold Cup squad. Gatt has made two appearances for the U.S., including a start vs. Russia last year in his national team debut.
This isn’t the first time an injury has cost Gatt a place on the U.S. team. He was originally called in to be a part of the U.S. squad for World Cup qualifiers last September before a hamstring injury forced him out. He also suffered an injury in January of 2012 that forced him to miss Under-23 Olympic qualifying.
Gatt has battled a myriad of injuries on the club level as well, though he has managed to still play a key role in helping Molde win the Norwegian League title last year.
The U.S. team has until 24 hours before its opening Gold Cup match, on July 9th vs. Belize, to name a replacement, and the replacement must come from the pool of 12 players who were on the preliminary U.S. Gold Cup roster who didn’t make the final 23-man roster.
Here are the players Klinsmann can choose from:
Tally Hall, Matt Besler, Carlos Bocanegra, Omar Gonzalez, Brad Davis, Brad Evans, Benny Feilhaber, Eddie Johnson, Brek Shea, Graham Zusi, Alan Gordon, Bobby Wood
What do you think of this development? Who would you replace Gatt with on the U.S. Gold Cup roster?
Share your thoughts below.