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CHICAGO (AP) — American midfielder Gedion Zelalem will miss the rest of the Under-20 World Cup after hurting his left knee in last weekend's opener against Ecuador.
The 20-year-old left the 3-3 draw Sunday in the 34th minute. The U.S. Soccer Federation said he will consult with doctors from the national team and Arsenal, his club in England, to determine treatment.
"This was his second U-20 World Cup, so his experience was invaluable for us," U.S. Under-20 coach Tab Ramos said in a statement. "His passing ability is second to none in this tournament, and we'll miss that. He was running the team from his position. Having said that, I believe in the players we have here, and we've already seen what Derrick Jones can do."
Zelalem made his debut for Arsenal in an FA Cup match in January 2014, but his career has stalled and he was loaned to Glasgow Rangers in the Scottish second tier for most of the 2015-16 season, then to Dutch second-tier club Venlo for the second half of the current season.
At the tournament in South Korea, the U.S. faces Senegal on Thursday and completes group play against Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
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