USMNT’s Antonee Robinson undergoes knee surgical procedure, will return at begin of 2025-26

Defender Antonee Robinson’s absence from the United States males’s nationwide group’s roster for the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup has been defined. Robinson underwent profitable “minor” surgical procedure on his proper knee, his membership group, Fulham, introduced Wednesday. 

Robinson will instantly start rehab and is predicted to be able to return to the pitch by the beginning of the 2025-26 Premier League season, Fulham added in its assertion. 

The 27-year-old has emerged as considered one of USMNT’s high gamers lately, turning into among the best American gamers in Europe after becoming a member of Fulham in 2020. That is why his exclusion from Mauricio Pochettino’s 27-player roster for the Gold Cup initially caught some off guard.

Antonee Robinson and Christian Pulisic are simply two of the USMNT mainstays who will not play within the Gold Cup after a grueling 2024-25 season with their European membership groups. (Picture by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photographs/USSF/Getty Pictures for USSF)

Nevertheless, it had been reported Robinson performed by means of a knee damage through the 2024-25 season. The severity of the damage was by no means disclosed, however he nonetheless performed in 38 complete matches, together with 36 of Fulham’s 38 Premier League fixtures. He logged over 3,200 complete minutes within the 2024-25 season for Fulham.

Regardless of the damage, Robinson was nonetheless extremely productive for Fulham this previous season. He dished out 10 assists in Premier League play, which was essentially the most of any defender.

Robinson was simply considered one of a handful of USMNT mainstays to not be included on the Gold Cup roster. Midfielders Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah, together with ahead Timothy Weah, have been among the many group of notable gamers to not be named to the 27-man roster as they every simply concluded their 2024-25 membership season. 

“Many individuals can say it is actually essential for us to be all collectively for the final time earlier than the World Cup,” Pochettino stated when requested concerning the resolution to maintain Pulisic off the roster final week. “We determined the perfect for him, the perfect of the group, the perfect for the nationwide group is the choice that we made.

“Typically we give an excessive amount of significance understanding to be collectively and typically the group perhaps typically does not work on this approach or construct on this approach … I believe you will need to create this problem. I actually imagine that to construct a group is about staying collectively, to have time to work, sure, however I believe we can not underestimate the participant.”

The USMNT will convene for camp forward of the Gold Cup on Sunday, June 1. It will play in a pair of friendlies earlier than starting Group D play within the Gold Cup on Sunday, June 15. 

Need nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports activities account, and comply with leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a customized publication day by day!