Weston McKennie exited last Thursday’s 1-0 friendly win over Ecudaor with a nasty ankle injury, and the diagnosis is out for the US men's national team midfielder.
On Monday, U.S. Soccer announced that McKennie, who stars for FC Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, suffered a moderate-to-high degree left ankle sprain and will return to Germany for treatment. The FC Dallas youth product is expected to miss several weeks.
He'll miss Tuesday's friendly vs. Chile at BBVA Compass Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo.
McKennie, 20, was playing in his first match under head coach Gregg Berhalter and now faces a race to recovery ahead of the 2019 Gold Cup. Berhalter was cautious when talking about McKennie's journey to full health, calling the path back "week by week."
The USMNT will kick off the regional competition June 18 at Alianz Field, the soon-to-open home of Minnesota United FC. Their opponent is yet to be announced.