Daryl Dike is running out of chances to state his case for the U.S.’s 2022 World Cup roster.
The Oklahoma-born West Brom forward is back on the injured list after suffering a thigh injury in training, a significant setback considering the remaining time between now and the World Cup and the little he’s been able to play this calendar year. Dike had scored two goals in preseason and was primed for a big role with the Baggies this season. He came off the bench for the final 12 minutes of West Brom’s season-opening draw vs Middlesbrough, but it appears like it’ll be some time before he plays again, and the unfortunate development puts his U.S. hopes for this fall on ice.
"It's a real frustration for us all, and the boy," West Brom manager Steve Bruce said, according to the Birmingham Mail. "He's young, he's 22, desperate to go to the World Cup with his nation, and he's worked tirelessly to get right. Yesterday, he kicked a ball and has done something to his thigh which didn't look very good.
"We're hoping it's not too bad, but from my experience it's bad enough the way he pulled up. He kicked a ball, frustrating. He knew straightaway. He's devastated, like all of us. We're devastated for him because he's really popular with the supporters because of the way he plays, and the way he is.
"It's bad luck, really bad luck. You've got a 22-year-old who comes here and has never been injured, then he picks up three since he's walked through the door last January.”
Dike had taken himself out of consideration for the U.S.’s June camp, instead sticking with his club for the summer with an eye on returning to full fitness and carving out his role for the season ahead. The thinking was that getting off to the best possible start to 2022-23 would thrust him back into the U.S. picture in time for pre-Qatar preparations.
“I spoke to Gregg,” said Bruce, who once coached U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter. “They have been very very sensible and they understand the situation.
“Daryl will not be involved in the internationals. There’s another one in September so that is what he is focusing on. It’s good for Daryl too, so it’s good to clear that up. He can concentrate on what we have put in place to make sure he has a really good summer before he comes back for preseason. We have waited this long so we have got to make sure he is right.”
Cruelly, the wait will go on, and as it relates to Dike’s involvement on the international level, it could extend beyond the World Cup. There’s one U.S. camp remaining before Berhalter makes his 26-man roster selection, and that will take place in late September. That’s a tight timetable for someone who didn’t participate in World Cup qualifying and has considerable ground to make up. Dike, who scored in his last five matches with Orlando City before heading back abroad, has three goals in eight caps with the U.S. but hasn’t played for his country since the 2021 Gold Cup semifinal vs. Qatar just over a year ago.
