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Alex Labidou

'It's not great news' - USMNT and Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers to miss up to five months with Achilles injury

U.S. international Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss three to five months after sustaining an Achilles injury, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said on Friday. The injury is believed to have occurred Thursday in a Europa League match against Sturm Graz. The injury could jeopardize Carter-Vickers' changes of making the USMNT World Cup roster.

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    'We wanted to take off Cameron'

    Carter-Vickers complained about having pain in the match, Rodgers said, but the manager ran out of substitutions and elected to keep the defender on the pitch while Celtic was clinging to a one-goal lead. 

    "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.

    On Friday, he told Sky Sports he expects Carter-Vickers to miss significant time. 

    "He looks like he's done his Achilles, which could be anywhere between three and five months," he said. "We just await confirmation of that, but it's not great news."

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    World Cup chances take a hit

    Carter-Vickers was competing with FC Cincinnati's Miles Robinson and Toulouse's Mark McKenzie for the U.S. third centerback spot. With the 27-year-old now expected to miss significant time, it could impact his chances of making Pochettino's squad for next year's World Cup. 

    Carter-Vicker has 18 USMNT caps and was included on the 2022 World Cup roster in Qatar. While he was on the October roster, he hasn't played under Pochettino with the USMNT.

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    Next up, Trusty?

    Another U.S. international defender, Auston Trusty, also plays for Celtic and is expected to return to the Scottish giants in the near future. Carter-Vickers' injury will likely mean more defensive responsibility for the former MLS star. Trusty has recently discussed wanting to get another shot with the USMNT after not being called up in months. 

    "I will do anything possible to be on that team and be a player of that magnitude and be the guy for the U.S.," Trusty told GOAL. "I know I can do it. I've shown it. And it's just about getting opportunities. When I get the opportunity, I thrive in it. When I get the opportunity, it's game over." 

    Trusty has four appearances with the national team.

  • Looking ahead

    Carter-Vickers' injury comes at a difficult time for Celtic, who have a potentially season-defining match ahead against surprise league leaders Hearts on Sunday. The Edinborough side leads the Bhoys by five points, and Rodgers needs three points to keep the team in the title race - which also has Champions League implications as well.