Dr Alexis Colvin says Jozy could return for round of 16

The U.S. soccer team will be missing second-leading scorer Jozy Altidore for its World Cup group game against Portugal in two days after the striker strained a hamstring in a 2-1 victory against Ghana.

Altidore pulled up while running down a long pass from Michael Bradley and was replaced in the 21st minute of the June 16 game against Ghana.

If he has avoided a more serious tear, Altidore could return before the elimination round, said Alexis Colvin, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

“The recovery can be usually no longer than a week,” Colvin said in a telephone interview this week. “In a muscle injury alone, when a tendon is not involved, that almost never requires surgery to be repaired. It will heal on its own with rest.”

The U.S.’s final group game is against Germany on June 26 in Recife. The Americans are tied with Germany at three points atop the Group G standings. The top two teams in each group move on to the round of 16.

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