USMNT left-back Sam Vines to miss World Cup with broken tibia
By Chris Smith
Royal Antwerp left-back Sam Vines will miss the 2022 World Cup with the United States Men's National Team due to a broken tibia, the player announced Saturday.
Vines looked highly likely to make Gregg Berhalter's roster for the tournament in Qatar after performing well in the Belgian top flight since moving from the Colorado Rapids in August 2021.
The 23-year-old was also part of the most recent USMNT roster for friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia in September, starting against the former to take his number of caps to nine.
However, Vines revealed on Saturday that he'd suffered a broken tibia in training with Antwerp, with the injury set to keep him sidelined for '3-4 months'.
"Life is full of ups and downs. Unfortunately, yesterday I broke by tibia and had to get surgery," Vines said on Instagram. "The operation went well and I should be back in 3-4 months. Upset I missed the chance to be in the World Cup but I will be supporting the boys until the end.
"Thank you for all the support. I'll be back stronger."
Vines' injury will only add to the headaches for Berhalter, who is sweating over the fitness of Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Luca de la Torre with the World Cup just a couple of weeks away.
The USMNT face Wales on November 21 in their Group B opener before fixtures against England and Iran.
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