FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England’s Matt Turner will likely be sidelined for a couple more weeks by an ankle injury, raising the possibility the United States will be without its top two goalkeepers when World Cup qualifying resumes on March 24 at Mexico.
Revolution coach Bruce Arena said during a news conference Tuesday that Turner was injured during a practice game at Los Angeles FC. New England said it was during a closed-door scrimmage that took place Feb. 9.
“A foot/ankle injury,“ Arena said. “Timeframe, probably a couple of weeks from now he’ll be available.”
The 27-year-old Turner, who has agreed to to a summer transfer to Arsenal, has not played a competitive match since Feb. 2, when the United States beat Honduras 3-0 at St. Paul, Minnesota.
Turner missed New England’s Feb. 26 opener at Portland and Saturday’s match against Dallas, and he will not be available for Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Mexico’s Pumas.
He has supplanted Manchester City’s Zack Steffen as the top U.S. goalkeeper in World Cup qualifying, starting eight of 11 matches.
Steffen has not played for Manchester City since Feb. 5 and has not dressed since Feb. 9 due to back and shoulder injuries.
New York City’s Sean Johnson and Chicago’s Gabriel Slonina were the other goalkeepers on the roster for January World Cup qualifiers.
Ethan Horvath, who was on the September roster, had not played for Nottingham Forest since Sept. 15, then started three straight league matches due to Brice Samba’s red card against Stoke, which carried a three-game suspension, and also started an FA Cup match,
The U.S. hosts Panama on March 27 at Orlando, Florida, and closes World Cup qualifying three days later at Costa Rica.
The U.S. will be without midfielder Weston McKennie, who broke two bones in his left foot while playing for Juventus in a Champions League match at Villarreal on Feb. 22.
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