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Fabian Johnson's club says he picked up injury with USMNT

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Fabian Johnson was sent home from the United States team because he took himself out of the CONCACAF Cup in the 111th minute. Maybe he was tired, maybe he had an injury, but Jurgen Klinsmann didn't feel his excuse was legitimate. Johnson apparently didn't give enough to the team so he was sent him with "a very severe word" so "he could rethink his approach to the team."

But apparently Johnson was injured, or at least his club says so.

Johnson returned to Borussia Monchengladbach and was immediately diagnosed with a thigh injury. Unless he picked it up on the plane, Johnson suffered the injury with the U.S. and that would make for a very good reason to ask out of a match in the 111th minute. Perhaps Gladbach are putting this out there to back their player, but that is unlikely. Whatever is going on here, one of Johnson's teams is backing him and the other is throwing him under the bus.

Klinsmann never had to take this public. If he did have a problem with Johnson, he could have sent the player home with the other eight who were scheduled to depart the team after the match and kept everything in house. Instead, he looks bad.