USA Defender John Tolkin Injured for the ‘Coming Weeks’ Ahead of 2026 World Cup

United States defender John Tolkin will be out for “the coming weeks” with a knee ligament injury, his German club said on Monday, less than two months before the World Cup. Holstein Kiel said Tolkin injured the medial collateral ligament in a second-division game against Fortuna Duesseldorf on Friday and was “being treated conservatively.” “As a result, the 23-year-old will not be available to us in the coming weeks,” Kiel posted on X. “We wish you a speedy recovery, dear John!” The U.S. World Cup squad will be announced on May 26. Tolkin is a contender for left back along with Antonee Robinson and Max Arfsten, who played in the losses to Belgium and Portugal two weeks ago. Tolkin has played 10 games for the U.S., most recently in a 5-1 win over Uruguay in November, and was on the U.S. Under-23 team which reached the Paris Olympics quarterfinals in 2024. Reporting by The Associated Press.​United States defender John Tolkin will be out for “the coming weeks” with a knee ligament injury less than two months before the World Cup.