USMNT: Weston McKennie to miss Mexico qualifier

USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie of Juventus Turin, who withdrew injured against Villarreal in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, will be out for the return leg in Italy after suffering a compound fracture in the metatarsal of his left foot that will keep him out for two months and will also rule him out for the match against the Mexican national team in the World Cup qualifiers.

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"The medical examinations he has undergone at J Medical have confirmed the presence of a compound fracture of the II and III metatarsal bone of the left foot. The recovery period is estimated at around eight weeks," a statement from Juventus Turin said.

On March 24, the United States national team will visit the Azteca Stadium to face the Mexican national team in the 12th match of the Concacaf octagonal final round to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

McKennie left the field injured in the 81st minute after a collision with Villarreal's Ecuadorian defender Pervis Josué Estupiñán. The American, who was unable to support his left foot, had to rely on two Juventus assistants to help him leave the field.

Juventus vs Villarreal, the second leg of the round of 16, on Italian soil, is scheduled for March 16, making McKennie's recovery for that match unfeasible.

Alex Sandro also left the field with an injury

Also, during the match against Villarreal, Brazilian Alex Sandro was withdrawn at half-time and underwent medical tests on Wednesday, which revealed that he suffers "a low-grade injury to the soleus of the left leg".

The Brazilian defender is expected to miss about two weeks.

USMNT outlook for the qualifiers

The USMNT faces the possibility of qualifying directly for the World Cup or going to the playoffs at the end of the qualifiers. The octagonal is very tight and there is only a four-point difference between second and fourth place, with nine points left to play for.

Team USA's fixtures include a match at the Azteca Stadium against Mexico. In addition, they will host Panama and close the FIFA Date against Costa Rica as visitors.

All three rivals are in the direct fight to go to the World Cup. The match against the Tricolor will be almost definitive to determine one of the tickets; while the match against the Canaleros and the Ticos will not make the road to the USMNT any easier.

McKennie has been crucial in the octagonal games for the USMNT. He has been present in the victories of Mexico and Costa Rica in these qualifiers, where he has even played all the minutes and scored a goal against Martino's team. As if that were not enough, he has played three games in which he has been an undisputed starter and only did not complete the 90 minutes against Honduras.

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