Overview
- Richards twisted his left ankle during Crystal Palace’s draw with Brentford on May 17 and has since been diagnosed with two torn ligaments, with manager Oliver Glasner saying the ankle is stable but quite swollen.
- Glasner confirmed Richards will miss Palace’s Premier League finale and rated him 50/50 for the UEFA Conference League final as club medics deliver intensive, round‑the‑clock treatment to reduce swelling.
- The injury creates urgent timing pressure for the U.S. national team because Mauricio Pochettino must name his 26‑man World Cup roster on May 26 and the U.S. play warmup friendlies on May 31 and June 6 before opening the tournament on June 12.
- If Richards cannot recover in time, Pochettino will need to reshuffle a thin center‑back pool with likely alternatives such as Tim Ream, Miles Robinson, Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty or Tristan Blackmon.
- Key next steps to watch are repeat scans, day‑by‑day treatment reports from Palace, and whether Richards is included in the May 26 roster or cleared to join U.S. camp after Palace’s European final.