American attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson suffered a left leg injury while playing for Leeds United on Sunday, although initial speculation is that the setback is not expected to threaten his World Cup status.
Future USMNT (United States Men’s National Team) defender Chris Richards also suffered an injury on Sunday when he rolled his left ankle while playing for Crystal Palace. The second-half substitute returned to the match after a minute on the sidelines and played until the end.
Aaronson, who is in a prime position to feature in the national team for the second successive World Cup cycle, came on in the 58th minute of Leeds’ Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion.
The 25-year-old native of Medford, New Jersey, clutched his left leg as the Leeds medical team entered the field. He limped off the pitch and was substituted in an eventual 1–0 win.
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Richards, 26, is from Alabama and was in FC Dallas’ development program before joining Bayern Munich’s academy in Germany in 2018. He played two seasons in the German Bundesliga before moving to Crystal Palace in 2022.
USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce his 26-player squad for this summer’s World Cup on May 26 at a public event in New York.
Aaronson leads Leeds with five assists and has scored four goals while playing 35 (of 37) team games this season.
Aaronson signed a five-year contract with Leeds in 2022. He was loaned out to FC Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga in 2023-24 after Leeds were relegated, but returned to the club from West Yorkshire, England, a year later.
Aaronson earned his first call-up to the USMNT in October 2019, made his debut with the team in 2020 and played in all three of the 2022 World Cup matches in the United States.
Richards has made 36 appearances for the USNMT since 2020, scoring three goals, but was not named in the United States’ 2022 World Cup squad. He has played in 33 Premier League games for Crystal Palace this season, scoring one goal.
Published on May 18, 2026
