Left ankle injury derails US midfielder Sands and jeopardizes his World Cup hopes

By Canadian Press on March 13, 2026.

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — U.S. international James Sands’ World Cup hopes are in jeopardy after a left ankle injury ruled him out of the rest of the Bundesliga season.

Sands was scheduled to have ankle surgery on Friday in Munich, his St. Pauli club said.

St. Pauli gave no timeframe for when the 25-year-old midfielder might return.

Sands was injured after a foul on Sunday against Eintracht Frankfurt. The full extent of the injury wasn’t revealed until days later after scans.

Sands has 14 appearances for the United States since 2021.

The World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada is in three months.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press

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