Paraguay could be without one of its star players for a while.
Julio Enciso, one of their best players had to be stretchered off the field in tears early during a 4-0 win in a friendly match versus Nicaragua on Friday night in Asunción, Paragua.
Enciso awkwardly pulled up while trying to reach a pass in the 24th minute and fell to the ground.
The stadium went silent as the young midfielder was on the ground.
Reports from Paraguay stated Enciso would undergo an MRI exam later in the night.
TigoSports reporter Pedro Torres believes the injury will sideline Enciso at least for Paraguay’s opening contest against Team USA on June 12.
He mentioned the team’s final group-stage contest on June 25 against Australia as a potential target date.
Enciso is only 22 and has already accumulated 32 caps for the main team, while adding four goals for the national team.
He started his soccer career at Libertad in Paraguay before being signed by Brighton in the Premier League. He then played with Ipswich before moving to France to play at Strasbourg.
He’s suffered other injuries that have sidelined him from soccer for a long time, including the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons in which he missed more than 100 days due to injuries.
Injuries like this call into question whether the USA should play their best players against Germany in a friendly match Saturday, as that game will have no impact on the World Cup.
It would be devastating if Team USA loses one of its best players just one week before their first game.
It will be interesting to see how Mauricio Pochettino handles his team selection Saturday, with the match scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. Eastern in Chicago.