John Tolkin

Dealing with knee ligament injury

Tolkin (knee) suffered an inner ligament injury during the clash against Fortuna Dusseldorf and will be unavailable for several weeks while undergoing conservative treatment, according to Holstein Kiel.

Analysis: Tolkin picked up the ligament damage in mid-April and the recovery timeline raises doubts over his availability for the World Cup this summer, with the tournament opening on June 11 leaving him a tight window to prove his fitness. The American left-back is unlikely to have been in contention for a starting role regardless, but his potential absence from the squad would reduce the USMNT's depth options at full-back heading into a home World Cup. The club will continue to monitor his progress over the coming weeks before any clearer picture emerges on his tournament availability.