Luca De La Torre’s USMNT status in jeopardy following thigh injury

It’s only five days until the U.S. men’s national team faces Jamaica for a spot in the CONCACAF Nations League Final and midfielder Luca De La Torre is in jeopardy of missing out.

De La Torre was ruled out of Celta Vigo’s squad for Sunday’s La Liga showdown with Sevilla due to a thigh injury. The USMNT midfielder was named to Gregg Berhalter’s 23-player roster last week, but may be forced to withdraw from international duty because of his recent injury.

De La Torre joined Celta Vigo ahead of last season and has enjoyed a stellar campaign to date. He’s scored three goals and registered six assists in 30 combined appearances, serving as one of the key players in the Celta Vigo squad.

Despite his best efforts, Celta Vigo are floundering near the relegation zone in La Liga. They sit two points clear of the bottom three and recently parted ways with manager Rafa Benitez.

De La Torre’s absence from USMNT duty would be an important loss, but could allow Berhalter to call in a replacement. Forward Haji Wright and midfielder Brenden Aaronson are both options after respective goalscoring performance on Saturday at club level.

De La Torre has earned 20 USMNT caps to date, contributing five assists.

The USMNT hosts Jamaica on March 21, with the winner set to meet either Mexico or Panama in the Nations League Final at AT&T Stadium.