AC Milan hoping for compensation from US Soccer Federation over Oguchi Onyewu injury

AC Milan hoping for compensation from US Soccer

MILAN — AC Milan is hoping for compensation from the U.S. Soccer Federation because defender Oguchi Onyewu was injured in a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica.

“I’m very angry because once again the national teams take players and we lose out due to injuries,” AC Milan chief executive officer Adriano Galliani told Italian media Thursday.

“This is a problem that needs to be resolved. We at Milan are expecting compensation from the American federation. We can’t pay a player who can’t play for six months,” Galliani said.

Onyewu tore the patellar tendon in his left knee late in Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw against Costa Rica in Washington. He left Standard Liege after last season and signed a three-year contract with AC Milan in July.

USSF president Sunil Gulati declined comment on Galliani’s remarks.

The Italian club said in a statement on its Web site that it had been informed of the injury by the American federation and, if further tests in the United States confirm the initial prognosis, Onyewu will be operated on.

Milan said club physician Massimo Manara was “in constant contact” with Onyewu, and that coach Leonardo and several teammates had also called to offer encouragement.

The 27-year-old has appeared in just one of the club’s 10 competitive matches this season, making his official debut as a 60th-minute substitute in the 1-0 Champions League loss to Zurich on Sept. 30.