EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Everything was going so well for Joe Gyau.

The 22-year-old Florida native made his second career start for the United States national team in a 1-1 draw against Ecuador on Friday, but suffered a left knee injury and had to be subbed off in the 21st minute for Bobby Wood.

Gyau had to be helped off the field and was later seen on the sideline on crutches with a huge ice pack on his knee. U.S. Soccer officials announced during the match that Gyau had suffered a sprain, and Gyau told reporters following the match that the injury was related to his meniscus, not to his Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

He also said he will head to Florida to have an MRI performed, the outcome of which will determine how much time he’s expected to miss with the injury. He will not play for the US in their game against Honduras on Tuesday in Boca Raton.

“I’m all right. I’m all right,” Gyau told reporters. “It’s just a little bit of meniscus. When I beat the guy down the line I cut it in and my leg kind of gave out on me. They said it’s nothing too serious, just got to get the MRI in Florida and we’ll see what’s up.



“Hopefully it’s just a sprain. They said the worst-case scenario maybe like four weeks (out).”

Gyau earned his first US cap last month in the team’s international friendly against the Czech Republic. He’s also begun to break through for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund making his debut with the club on Sept. 22.

“It was a bummer for us obviously to lose Joe Gyau with the potential knee issue, we will figure that out by [Saturday] morning,” Klinsmann said. “We hope it’s not so bad. He looked really good last couple of days in training and I think he showed that first couple of minutes. He was full of energy, so that was a bummer.”