American striker Patrick Agyemang, 25, has been regrettably ruled out of the upcoming World Cup after suffering a severe Achilles tendon injury. His club, Derby County, which competes in England’s second-tier Championship, confirmed the unfortunate news on Tuesday.
Agyemang was stretchered off during Monday’s 2-0 victory against Stoke City, with the injury officially confirmed today. Derby County released a statement saying: “The club will provide Patrick with the highest level of medical care and rehabilitation throughout his recovery. Due to this injury, Patrick will unfortunately miss this summer’s FIFA World Cup. At this stage, it would be incorrect to set a timeline for his return.”
Since his international debut last year, Agyemang has scored six goals in 14 appearances for his country, including one during last month’s friendly matches. Those two friendlies resulted in heavy defeats for the US Men’s National Team against Belgium (5-2) and Portugal (2-0), painting a challenging picture for the squad. Coach Mauricio Pochettino has until May 30 to finalize his World Cup roster, which is slated to face Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey in Group D.
Previously considered one of the top strikers in the United States, Agyemang made the move from Charlotte FC and is currently Derby County’s leading scorer with ten goals, significantly contributing to the team’s eighth-place standing in the Championship.