Football
ESPN staff 7y

Graham Zusi replaces injured Fabian Johnson on U.S. squad

Fabian Johnson has been ruled out of the United States' upcoming World Cup qualifiers with a hamstring injury, and Graham Zusi will take his spot in Bruce Arena's squad.

Johnson came off in the 16th minute in Borussia Monchengladbach's Europa League game on Thursday, four days before he was supposed to report for U.S. duty.

U.S. Soccer confirmed Johnson's injury on Friday, hours after Gladbach said he would be "sidelined for an unknown period of time" with a pulled muscle in his thigh.

Zusi, of Sporting Kansas City, will fill Johnson's spot on the squad to face Honduras and Panama over the international break that begins next week.

Arena has previously said that Johnson is "best suited to be in the midfield," though he has also played at right-back, where the Americans are already without the injured DeAndre Yedlin and Eric Lichaj.

Johnson is the second player to leave the team in as many days, after goalkeeper Brad Guzan pulled out of the squad on Thursday while awaiting the birth of his child.

After losing their first two games in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying in November, the U.S. faces Honduras next Friday in San Jose, California, before traveling to Panama four days later.

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