US defender Oguchi Onyewu out for 6 months following knee surgery, jeopardizing World Cup

Onyewu out 6 months, jeopardizing World Cup

CHICAGO — American defender Oguchi Onyewu will be sidelined for six months following surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee, a layoff that could jeopardize his appearance in next year’s World Cup.

After Onyewu was injured in last week’s World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica, the U.S. Soccer Federation originally projected his recovery at three to four months. The federation issued a new estimate of six months on Thursday, a day after national team physician Dr. Bert Mandelbaum operated on Onyewu for one hour in Los Angeles.

That gives Onyewu little time to regain his form ahead of the World Cup, which opens June 11 in South Africa.