U.S. national team striker Josh Sargent will miss Saturday’s friendly against Colombia and likely the entire Copa America with what coach Gregg Berhalter described as a “nagging foot injury.”
Berhalter said Friday that Sargent continues to work on the field and in the gym to get him in game shape.
“We’ve been in and out and testing him to see where he is,” Berhalter said during a media availability on Friday. “The key for us is how do we get him in good shape and ready to go and see if he’s available.”
“We’ll have to see if he’s available for the Brazil match and then decide whether he’ll be in the Copa America squad,” Berhalter added.
Sargent missed four months after undergoing ankle surgery last August but has scored 16 goals in 26 games for English second division club Norwich City this season. The U.S. national team also includes Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright.
Teams have until June 12 to finalize their tournament rosters.
The right-back position remains one of the big question marks for the team, with regular starter Sergiño Dest out with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, so Joe Scali and Shaq Moore are the candidates to replace him, although Tim Weah could also play in the position if coach Berhalter opts for a five-man backline.
“We’re going to try different tactics and obviously we’re going to give our natural right back a chance in these games and then maybe look at other options,” Berhalter said.
“So far in the training camps, we’ve been able to see not only the performance of our right-back but also the performance of the other players. We’ve just been adapting to each game and each opponent.”
Following the match against Colombia, the U.S. will face powerhouse Brazil in Orlando on June 12. The two matches will be a warm-up before the U.S. kicks off Copa America action at home against Bolivia on June 23.
“I think our performance tells us where we are,” Berhalter said. “We know we’re going to be playing two of the top teams in South America and we’re going to learn a lot about our group and who we’re going to face in those two games.”
“But for us, it’s all about how we go out on the field and perform at a good level, how we go out on the field and compete and get the whole team prepared and fit for the Copa America.”
