Crucial World Cup qualifiers loom, and the U.S. Men’s National Team has reason to be concerned with an injury to a star defender.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez says DeAndre Yedlin could be out one or two weeks after suffering a slight tear in his thigh. Yedlin was kept out of Tuesday’s draw with Leeds United as a result of the injury, which was picked up in Newcastle’s win against Brighton and Hove Albion last week.
“Yedlin didn’t realize he had the problem against Brighton,” Benitez said. “We protected him against Huddersfield, but he had to come on. But he was complaining, and you could see that maybe it would be one week or two weeks. He had a knock, maybe has a small tear.”
The news comes just a few weeks before the U.S. faces a pair of crucial World Cup qualifiers. After falling to Mexico and Costa Rica in the opening matches of the Hexagonal, the U.S. is set to take on Honduras on March 24 before heading to Panama four days later.
Yedlin has made 23 league appearances for Newcastle this season.