US Captain Claudio Reyna out with ankle fracture

In a blow to both the US National team and Manchester City, a CT scan has reviled a fracture of a small bone in the back of Claudio Reyna's right ankle. This comes just a month after he missed four matches due to ankle and knee problems.

"The original injury happened in the Arsenal game," Reyna is quoted on the Manchester City web site. "It has been really sore and it didn't feel right. I could not train through the week and I was just trying to get through games. A CT scan revealed there's a break and now I'll proceed with having surgery on Friday. Luckily, the doctor is one of the leading guys in Europe and I'm happy to be seeing him and getting the problem cleared up."

This latest injury should keep Reyna out for 6-8 weeks.

US Coach Bruce Arena must be watching Reyna's status closely. Reyna is not in the best shape of his life, but he does bring a great deal of talent and experience to the midfield. If he is unable to recover from this injury or if another injury comes his way, it is hard to imagine him being ready for Germany. A US team without his on field guidance will be a very different team indeed.

That said, this injury does come far enough out that Reyna could make a full recovery. Let's all hope that happens.