U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams exited Bournemouth’s Monday match at Manchester United after just five minutes, an injury that his head coach suspects is medial collateral ligament (MCL) damage in his left knee.
Adams, after receiving a minute of medical treatment on the pitch, ultimately walked off under his own power but did not attempt to continue. He was replaced by Alex Scott.
Adams suffered the injury while blocking a Matheus Cunha shot less than two minutes into the match. After he and Cunha made contact with the ball simultaneously, Adams immediately fell to the ground and raised his right arm, in an apparent call for the medical staff, and in pain. He then grimaced while the athletic trainers performed manual tests on his knee. At one point, he made a twisting motion with his left hand.
He was then helped to his feet and walked toward the sideline with a limp. At one point, he broke into a brief jog, but then shook his head.
“I think its the worst news from the game, definitely,” Iraola said in his post-match press conference. “He twisted the knee. I think it’s just MCL, but we have to check and see if it is just a small sprain or something bigger.
“Obviously, it is not what we want. To lose a player like Tyler for us is massive, especially when you don’t have Lewis Cook. Alex has to play in that holding midfield position and he has done it really well, but it’s bad news for us because Tyler is massive for us.”
Adams, who captained the U.S. men’s national team at the 2022 World Cup as a 23-year-old, has been a key player for the USMNT ever since he was a teen. He has started regularly in a defensive midfield position when healthy. He has battled multiple injuries throughout his career – including going over a year between Premier League games in 2023-24 – but had established himself as a midfield force for Bournemouth this season, starting all but one Premier League match. He’d even scored two goals, including one from 47 yards out that earned him the league’s November goal of the month award.
Adams’ next games for the U.S. national team would not be until March, but those are just friendlies (against Belgium and Portugal). The main concern is his status for the 2026 World Cup, which begins June 11. The USMNT’s first group game is June 12 against Paraguay.
Bournemouth drew the game 4-4 against Manchester United, leaving them 13th in the Premier League. Their next game comes on Saturday at home against Burnley, with Iraola expected to hold a press conference and update on Adams’ condition ahead of that fixture.
