U.S. Defender In Danger of Missing 2026 World Cup With Achilles Injury

U.S. international Cameron Carter-Vickers will be sidelined for at least several months after the Celtic center back sustained an Achilles injury, manager Brendan Rodgers said Friday.

Rodgers estimated Carter-Vickers would miss three to five months, which could limit the defender’s chances of making the U.S. team for next summer’s World Cup.

The 27-year-old Carter-Vickers felt pain during Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Sturm Graz in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Rodgers had made two first-half substitutions for injuries and made another change in the 78th minute — exhausting his three opportunities for subs.

“We wanted to take off Cameron but we could only make one substitution in the second half. Ideally we would have taken him off,” Rodgers said after the match.

Rodgers told Sky Sports on Friday that it’s an Achilles injury.

Auston Trusty, also a U.S. international, could be called on to replace Carter-Vickers, who played for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup.

Reporting by The Associated Press.