Devastated EFL striker leaves pitch in tears with World Cup dream in major doubt

Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang could have seen his chances of playing at the World Cup this summer disappear.

USA international Agyemang left the pitch on a stretcher in tears after seemingly picking up a serious injury on Easter Monday.

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Agyemang, who will be hoping to feature for the United States in their home World Cup, went down under no challenge as he controlled the ball on his chest.

In the 40th minute of Derby’s 2-0 win over Stoke, he appeared to land awkwardly and required treatment from medical staff.

And eventually, he was lifted onto a stretcher and taken off the field, being consoled by his teammates whilst visibly upset.

The 25-year-old’s reaction may tell the story of how serious the injury could be, with concerns around an Achilles problem.

Injury update

When asked about Agyemang’s injury, Derby boss John Eustace confirmed the player has been sent for a scan.

Eustace said when asked about how serious Agyemang’s injury is: “We’ll have to wait and see.

“Patrick’s gone for a scan now, so I can’t really comment on that until we know the results. Obviously, we don’t want to see any player coming off the pitch on a stretcher, so that’s not good.”

When asked if Agyemang is ruled out of the World Cup, Eustace responded: “Well, let’s just wait and see. I don’t know how serious it is yet, so until we get the scan results, let’s see.”

Meanwhile, Derby teammate Carlton Morris said: “Huge blow. Obviously, Pat’s huge for us. Whatever it is, we’re praying for him. He’ll have all the support in the world from us.

“And he’s mentally bulletproof. He’ll be fine, whatever it is. He’ll attack it head on with the support from the fantastic medical team here.”

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Agyemang’s nervous wait

The 2026 World Cup begins in just two months’ time and Agyemang would have been hoping to feature up front for the USA.

He played in both of his nation’s matches over the March international break against Belgium and Portugal.

The former Charlotte FC striker scored against the former, showing the impact he can have for the American side.

Agyemang managed to secure a place on Mauricio Pochettino‘s most recent squad due to his strong form for Derby.

He’s netted ten times in his debut season in England following his summer switch from the MLS, assisting four goals too.

But the 14-cap USMNT international might now end up missing the huge tournament completely if he has picked up an injury.

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Speaking last month about his chances of playing at the World Cup, Connecticut-born Agyemang said: “With the national team, it’s always competitive.

“You’re competing against a lot of top guys, and all those boys are really good players. It’s just me focusing on myself. I like to dial into what I can control and keep working hard.

“It’s a great feeling just to be in the mix. You just want to keep working hard, to push yourself in order to be hopefully selected.”

Pochettino’s USA are in Group D of the World Cup, alongside Paraguay, Australia and Turkey.

They face Paraguay in their opening game on June 13, with every game being played in front of their home fans.

It is sure to be a special summer for America, so to miss out due to an injury so late in the season would be devastating for Agyemang.