Jackson Ragen departs USMNT camp due to knee injury

U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has now lost a promising defender for next weekend’s January friendly vs. Slovenia.

Jackson Ragen has departed USMNT camp after aggravating a prior knee injury, the federation announced Sunday. Ragen is returning to the Seattle Sounders for further evaluation and treatment.

There has been no replacement named for Ragen in the USMNT squad.

The 25-year-old has registered four assists in 59 appearances over the past two MLS seasons with the Sounders. Ragen logged over 3,000 minutes of playing time for Brian Schmetzer’s squad in 2023.

His departure leaves Miles Robinson, Ian Murphy, Nkosi Tafari, and James Sands as the leading center backs on the USMNT January camp roster.

The USMNT faces Slovenia on January 20th in the third all-time meeting between the two countries.