Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has expressed his disappointment at Chris Richards playing every minute for the USMNT against Ecuador and Australia in the October international window.
The Eagles boss, who oversaw a 2–0 win against Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, has seen Richards become a key player in his backline, starring alongside Marc Guéhi—a player drawing admiring glances from the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
But Richards has been dealing with a knock, playing through the issue, and the USMNT are not playing competitive internationals as they are one of the three host nations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“My only complaint is the U.S. team didn’t talk to us because Chris was struggling with his calf for many weeks,” Glasner told reporters. “We talked to them and said he should rest as they were just friendlies. But they played him twice, every single minute. That’s a little bit disappointing. On the other side, we’ve tried to manage his minutes here.
“Chris’s body told him he needs more rest…He says he’s fine, the medical department says he’s fine.”
While Richards played the games during one of the earlier international breaks in the European calendar, his participation—and that of other European-based players representing North American countries—has come under heavy criticism.
Unlike many countries, the U.S., Canada and Mexico, three host nations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will not have had any competitive games between the end of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup in July 2025 and their respective World Cup openers in June 2026.
With no World Cup qualifying, the teams have had to rely on friendlies, much to the displeasure of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and Richards plays a key role for club and country.
