Tyler Adams, a U.S. men’s national team midfield mainstay, sustained a knee injury Monday, Dec. 15 that could severely impact his availability heading into a World Cup year.
Adams, playing for Bournemouth in a Premier League match at Manchester United, got hurt in the second minute during a challenge with Matheus Cunha and exited the game.
After the contest ended in a 4-4 draw, Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola said of Adams, ‘He’s the worst news from the game, definitely. The knee twisted, I think the MCL. We’ll have to check and see if it is a small sprain or bigger.
‘To lose a player like Tyler for us is massive, especially when you don’t have Lewis Cook (who is suspended). Alex (Scott) has to play in that holding midfield position, and he has done it really well, but it’s bad news for us because Tyler is massive for us.’
Adams, 26, was just days removed from being honored for scoring the Premier League’s goal of the month. He lobbed a shot from the center circle over the head of Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs and into the net in Bournemouth’s 3-2 road loss Nov. 29.
The tally was just Adams’ second in three seasons with Bournemouth and four seasons in the Premier League. He played for Leeds United in 2022-23.
Adams was the captain on the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the squad lost to the Netherlands in the round of 16. He has been in and out of the U.S. team in the current World Cup cycle due to injuries, but he is viewed as a near-lock to start in a holding midfield role if healthy next summer when the World Cup is played in North America.
The full U.S. team is next scheduled to assemble for friendlies against Belgium on March 28 and against Portugal on March 31, both in Atlanta. The USMNT kicks off World Cup play against Paraguay on June 12 at Inglewood, California.