PSV Eindhoven and United States men's national team striker Ricardo Pepi is set for a significant spell on the sidelines after suffering a broken forearm during a league match on Saturday.
Injury Strikes After Goal
The 23-year-old American forward sustained the injury in a 5-1 Eredivisie victory over Excelsior. The incident occurred immediately after Pepi had scored PSV's second goal of the game. He landed awkwardly following the effort, prompting immediate concern from the medical staff.
Pepi was forced to leave the pitch and subsequent hospital examinations confirmed a fracture. The Dutch club has stated that the player will undergo surgery on Sunday and is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months.
A Major Setback for Player and Club
PSV head coach Peter Bosz expressed his disappointment, highlighting the unfortunate timing of the injury. "It didn't look good right away," Bosz said. "Last January Ricardo was already out due to his knee injury. It won't last that long now, but unfortunately we lost him again."
The coach emphasised that Pepi had been in excellent form following his recovery from the previous knee issue. "Pepi was on a good run, had a strong training camp and was all the way back," Bosz added. "He became more confident and was in that good flow again. All signs were green for a strong second half of the season, so this is incredibly disappointing."
World Cup Fitness Race Begins
This injury presents a serious challenge for the United States men's national team as they build towards the 2026 World Cup. Pepi has been a regular fixture for his country, earning 34 caps and scoring 13 goals. He was involved as recently as the November international window.
With the US set to begin their World Cup campaign on 12 June at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Pepi now faces a race against time to regain full fitness. His participation in crucial pre-tournament friendlies, including matches against Belgium on 28 March and Portugal on 31 March, is now in serious doubt.
The coming weeks will be critical for the striker's rehabilitation as both club and country hope for a swift and complete recovery ahead of a pivotal summer.
