USMNT's Chris Richards declares he's 'ready' for World Cup opener

Heading into their World Cup opener on Friday, the U.S. men's national team received a massive lift when defender Chris Richards declared himself ready to go against Paraguay.

Richards, 26, who suffered a pair of torn ligaments in his left ankle while playing for Crystal Palace of the Premier League on May 17, has been a full participant at practice this week for the first time since the injury.

"I'm ready to go," Richards told reporters Wednesday, adding that he has not been informed of any minutes restrictions. "It's the World Cup. I was going to make myself ready regardless. ... If there's any time to sacrifice yourself, it's now. I know I'm able to play Friday but I don't make those decisions."

Richards sat out both of the pre-World Cup friendlies against Senegal and Germany while rehabbing his ankle ahead of the opener, and said the recovery time was just what he needed ahead of the Group D opener at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

"Rehab is rehab. It's never really fun," Richards added. "It's been long days of just trying to get my ankle right, swelling, whatever the case is, trying to get everything right. It took about as long as I expected, honestly. Initial diagnosis was day-to-day but, for me, I was aiming for 2-3 weeks. I think we're on schedule."

Fear did creep into Richards' mind that an injury would force him to miss his second consecutive World Cup. In 2022, a persistent hamstring injury that sidelined him for months kept him out of the tournament in Qatar.

"When I first came out with the injury, I was pretty devastated, and I was honestly fearing the worst," he said, adding that he does not feel any restrictions regarding movement. "But I kind of forced myself back on the pitch to prove to myself that it was doable."

Richards' teammates are elated to have the defender -- one of the team's leaders and keys to its success -- back on the pitch in time for the opener.

"Chris is one of the most important players on the team, but my best friend as well," winger Tim Weah said. "Seeing him healthy and playing is everything."

--Field Level Media