Tyler Adams will miss most of AFC Bournemouth’s winter schedule due to a new injury.
Adams has been diagnosed with a torn MCL after being substituted off during Bournemouth’s 4-4 Premier League draw with Manchester United on Monday. Cherries manager Andoni iraola confirmed that he will be out at least two-to-three months.
The U.S. men’s national team midfielder played just three minutes in the match before being replaced two minutes later. The injury occurred during a collision with Red Devils forward Matheus Cunha.
“Tyler is injured. He has torn his MCL. So he will be out, definitely out for some time,” Iraola said Friday at this prematch press conference ahead of Bournemouth’s league match vs. Burnley, transcribed by the Bournemouth Echo.
“Normally two, three months, Iraola said when asked about Adams’ recovery timeline. “Two months, optimistic two months, pessimistic three, something like this. So, yes, it’s a big blow. It’s a big blow because it’s an important player for us. But straight away, when you see the mechanism, the action, we were feeling that there could be something there.”
Adams has played a key role for Bournemouth again this season, logging 15 appearances prior to his early departure on Monday. He scored twice for the Cherries in league play, one that led to a Goal of the Month honor in November.
The 26-year-old midfielder has made 52 appearances for the South Coast club since joining in August 2023. He missed most of the 2023-24 campaign due to multiple injuries.
Adams’ injury could rule him out of the USMNT’s next window in March when Mauricio Pochettino’s squad faces Portugal and Belgium in friendly action.
Should Adams miss out, he will then have two months until Pochettino names his World Cup roster for next summer’s competition in North America.
Perfect! He is unlikely to get hurt while sitting out. He will just have to make through March, April and some of May. That will have him fresh and fit for the WC.
Maybe it’s time for another player who wears red and black to take a three month break too?
(of course I’m not serious)
Likely case scenario is the beginning of April he gets back into the Bournemotuh team.
Well this gives Tessman and Mckennie time to gel together. Also if Cardoso stays fit he comes back into the equation.
Adams will likely be good for the WC, but maybe not as a starter. He will have mid April to May to get gametime for Bournemouth again.
It’ll be intriguing to see if I’m right and Poch regards McKennie as more of a RW/RWB than a CM. The rubber will really hit the road come March – if Poch is still starting Roldan/Tessmann/Morris at the co-6 spots in his ever-present double pivot, I think we can safely assume we’ll never see McKennie as a CM under Poch.
Poch looks for skillsets and fits, and what he seems to want out of his double pivots is consistency, defensive discipline, resistance to the press…and zero drama.
McKennie is a lot of things, but you have to let him freelance some and just go. Sitting there being reliable is not his strong suit.
I think you are more likely to see Wes at RW/AM than RWB
——-—Balo———
—-Puli—Wes——
Jedi-Adams-Tess-Dest
—-Ream-Rich-McK—-
The structure hasn’t really changed it’s still a 3-2-4-1 in possession. Just sometimes he plays 3 CBs and sometimes he plays two and keeps a FB home. He could keep Morris or Tanner back with CBs and push both FBs forward and drop a W between the lines.