CHICAGO (AP) — Landon Donovan will miss the U.S. soccer team's exhibition game at Germany on Wednesday because of a right calf strain.
Donovan was injured March 8 playing for Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy in a 3-2 loss at Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals. He probably will be sidelined two to three weeks, Galaxy trainer Ivan Pierra said.
Donovan will not be replaced on the U.S. roster, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Thursday, leaving the Americans with 18 players for the game at Dortmund, their last in Europe before the World Cup.
German fans have a particular interest in Donovan, who returned to MLS last year after having a miserable stay at Bayer Leverkusen.
The U.S. team gathers Sunday in Bochum for three days of practice ahead of the game. Before the World Cup, the Americans also play Jamaica (April 11 at Cary, N.C.), Morocco (May 23 at Nashville), Venezuela (May 26 at Cleveland) and Latvia (May 28 at East Hartford, Conn.).
At the World Cup in Germany, the United States has first-round games against the Czech Republic (June 12), Italy (June 17) and Ghana (June 22).
