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Sebastian Lletget may be absent from the United States lineup this week in New Jersey and Nashville. According to LA Times writer Kevin Baxter, it is “unlikely” that the United States midfielder will be fit to play in friendlies against Brazil tomorrow or Mexico on Tuesday. Lletget has been struggling with an abductor injury this week in camp, and Baxter writes that he may be released to his club team, the LA Galaxy, after the Brazil match.
Update: U.S. Soccer announced earlier that Lletget will leave camp due to the injury:
NEWS: @SLletget departs #USMNT camp due to lingering abdominal strain. https://t.co/JZwItOfkRp
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@ussoccer_mnt) September 6, 2018
The 26-year-old has struggled with injuries since he was fouled in a 6-0 World Cup qualifying victory against Honduras back in March 2017. Lletget was playing well in that match and scored the first goal of the game in the 5th minute. However, after suffering a brutal tackle in the 18th minute, he was substituted and later underwent surgery for a Lisfranc (metatarsal) fracture.
The injury and subsequent rehabilitation caused him to miss the remainder of the 2017 MLS season. This season, a malleolar (ankle) injury resulted in Lletget missing 6 matches over the heart of the summer. Lletget has yet to appear for the USMNT since being injured in the Honduras match.