Head coach Mauricio Pochettino of the American gentlemen and the fans of the program hold their breath.
Ricardo Pepi was replaced in the first half of PSV’s 2-1 Eredivisie victory on Excelsior on Saturday. The USMNT striker had two goals to his name in the early stages of the new competition campaign, but could now get an enchantment on the sidelines.
Pepi scored twice for PSV on September 13 in a 5-3 League victory at NEC Nijmegen. The 22-year-old had jumped on the number 1 Spits this summer after the move from Luuk de Jong to FC Porto.
Although it was mainly a backup last season, Pepi scored 17 goals in all competitions, which was a career-best for the former MLS product.
However, an enchantment on the sidelines can hinder its chances for USMNT involvement this fall. The USMNT will have a few friendly matches in October against Ecuador and Australia before they also take Uruguay and Paraguay in November.
Pepi was not the only American player for fans to worry about, because Sergino Dest also missed the game due to injury. Both Pepi and Dest will be large losses for PSV, and they are expected to miss enough time.
PSV manager Peter Bosz did not have an update on the status of Pepi and admitted that further evaluations were needed to diagnose his injury.
“I am not going to take a risk at this stage with someone who has small complaints. Further research will have to show what it looks like,” Bosz said in a club interview.
PSV will continue this week with UEFA Champions League games in Bayer Leverkusen.
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