USMNT striker Josh Sargent will undergo a scan on his right ankle after he suffered a freak injury in their World Cup clash against Iran.
USA beat Iran 1-0 on TuesdaySargent stood over the ball during the matchInjured his ankle and had to be substituted
WHAT HAPPENED? USMNT’s victory against Iran came at a cost as Christian Pulisic and Sargent had to be substituted due to injuries. While Pulisic collided with Iran’s keeper Alireza Beiranvand and suffered a pelvic contusion, Sargent ended up standing on a ball that had spun away from him, leading to the 22-year-old overextending his knee. It was later confirmed that it was the forward flex of his ankle that forced him to be substituted in the 77th minute of the match.
WHAT THEY SAID: “I’m not really sure (how bad it is),” Sargent told The Athletic. “I think we’ll have to see how it kind of progresses overnight, but we obviously have a very good medical team. So yeah, we’re gonna do everything we can. Hopefully, this one is not too bad.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The full extent of the injury will be known when Sargent goes for a scan on Wednesday. It is the opposite ankle that he injured while plying his trade with Norwich at the end of last season. Fortunately, he did not need a stretcher to get off the field and could hobble his way to the dugout after being replaced by Haji Wright.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT FOR SARGENT? If the scan results are encouraging then Sargent should be available for selection when Gregg Berhalter’s troops clash against the Netherlands on Saturday in their round of 16 tie at the Khalifa International Stadium.
