USMNT and Bournemouth star Tyler Adams set to miss several months after suffering MCL tear against Manchester United

The injury came in Bournemouth's 4-4 draw with Manchester United, with Adams playing just a few minutes to start that game before being forced out. Just five minutes into the game, Adams stretched to block a shot from forward Matheus Cunha before going down and requiring attention from medical staff. Attempts to walk and jog were futile, and Adams was removed from the match in place of Alex Scott.

Iraola said after the match that further tests were required, but that it was believed Adams had suffered an MCL injury. That was confirmed on Friday as Iraola gave a more complete timeline.

“Tyler is injured. He has torn his MCL. So he will be out, definitely out for some time,” Iraola said.

When asked about Adams' potential recovery time, he continued: “Normally two, three months. Two months, optimistic two months, pessimistic, three, something like this. So, yes, it’s a big blow.

“It’s a big blow because it’s an important player for us. But straight away, when you see the mechanism, the action, we were feeling that there could be something there.”

While the injury sees Bournemouth lose one of their key cogs, it could also have USMNT implications. The U.S. are set to return to action in March for friendlies against Belgium and Portugal on March 28 and 31, respectively. That scheduling goes right up against Iraola's "pessimistic" timeline for Adams' recovery. The midfielder's status for those games is, at the very least, questionable, then, as he begins his recovery from this injury.

The blow comes at a tough time for Adams on the club level, though. The American recently won Premier League Goal of the Month, becoming the first USMNT star to do so, after scoring a long-range stunner against Sunderland. He's also further established himself as one of the first names on Bournemouth's team sheet after enduring injury issues throughout much of his first two seasons with the club.

Through the first 16 games of the Premier League season, Bournemouth find themselves in 13th place, eight points clear of the relegation zone, but only seven points clear of the top four. Now, though, is when the club will truly be tested, particularly with Adams available in the midfield.

They'll face Burnley on Saturday before taking on Brentford and Chelsea post-Christmas to finish off the 2025 calendar year. After that comes something of a gauntlet, though, as the Cherries open 2026 against Arsenal and Tottenham ahead of an FA Cup clash with Newcastle.