Chris Richards seems to have avoided the worst-case scenario.
After Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner told reporters Thursday that Richards “tore two ligaments in his ankle,” a source close to the situation told The Post the US national team regular is expected to be fine for the World Cup.
Richards, according to the source, is expected to miss 7-8 days after getting a scan, and has a chance to play in the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano next Wednesday.
A US Soccer spokesman declined to comment on Richards’ status.
Richards injured his ankle in the second half of Palace’s 2-2 draw against Brentford over the weekend but finished the game before being helped off the pitch.
Glasner initially called it a twisted ankle, while expressing hope Richards could return this week.
He sounded far less optimistic Thursday, though it’s worth noting that, since English is his second language, the Austrian may have described the injury more harshly than is warranted.
“Chris will miss the Arsenal game [this weekend], and it’s now 50-50 for him and for us if he can play in the final in Leipzig,” Glasner said. “He tore two ligaments in his ankle. I think it’s stable but quite swollen, and we have to deal with the swelling. He has to get back on the pitch to be available and it takes time.
“He is in from sunrise until sunset having treatments and everything we can do that reduces the swelling. And of course we have a great medical department, so we will give it our best and he will give his best — and then let’s see if we can get it done.”
With the possible exception of Christian Pulisic, Richards is the player the US can least afford to lose.
Not only is he the most dependable American center back, but the position as a whole is one at which the team lacks depth.
If the USMNT is still worried about Richards aggravating the injury or not being at 100 percent, the situation may call for bringing an extra center back — possibly Tristan Blackmon — to the tournament, but the news that he should be OK for the tournament is a major sigh of relief.
If Richards is anything less than fully healthy, it would severely hamper the Americans’ chances of making a run at a home World Cup.
Richards is important enough that even if he is at risk of missing time in the World Cup, Pochettino could justifiably put him on the team anyway.
His potential absence would have a major effect on how the United States lines up and its overall defensive stability, which is shaky to begin with.
Tim Ream and Mark McKenzie are seen as the two most likely starters alongside Richards if the US plays with three at the back.
If Richards were unable to play, it could be Auston Trusty, Miles Robinson or even Blackmon getting a chance.
While Noahkai Banks’ inclusion was heavily discussed going into the March window, his decision to decline a call-up in that window to keep the option open to play for Germany, coupled with falling out of Augsburg’s lineup, seems to make a World Cup call-up highly unlikely.
None of those options is anywhere near as trusted as Richards, who has played north of 4,000 minutes this season for Palace and started nearly every week he’s been healthy.
With the club on the verge of its first ever European trophy, his ability to get back for Palace by Wednesday’s final — before flying to Atlanta to meet the USMNT — will be mission critical.
As for the national team, no one will breathe easy until a healthy Richards is in Atlanta and fully participating in training. But things do look much better than they did Thursday morning.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
