Injury Report: Estimating USMNT striker Patrick Agyemang's recovery time

By Andrew Crowell - @ajc10_11

Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/TopBin90

Charlotte FC’s former star striker, Connecticut-born Patrick Agyemang, took the EFL Championship by storm, with 10 goals and 3 assists in 37 matches, with his goal contribution tally tying for the most by Derby County in the 2025/26 season. His performances have even earned him callups to the United States Men’s National Team by Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino, where he has made six appearances this year and netted two goals. He was absolutely in contention to feature at this summer's FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This would have meant he’d return to Charlotte for a USMNT friendly against Senegal before the World Cup as well.

That was until Derby’s match against Stoke City on April 6. After landing awkwardly, Agyemang was stretchered off with a reported Achilles tendon injury while visibly emotional. The club confirmed the injury and refused to give a recovery time for their American talisman. 

Achilles injuries are not uncommon among professional athletes, as many big stars have suffered this fate in recent memory, including Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, and Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This fibrous tissue that connects your calf muscles and your heel is the reason you are able to walk, run, and jump. But when it is injured, even simply standing can cause a world of pain. Think of it as a rope that helps pull your heel up when you walk, run, or jump. 

Tendons in the human body connect muscle and bone, and store and release energy like a spring. You use it every day when you do actions such as pushing off with your toe when walking, standing on your toes, jumping, or running. Sudden traumatic injuries such as Agyemang’s occur usually when sprinting, jumping/landing, or a quick change of direction is performed. Athletes who have had this injury describe it as if ‘someone kicks you in the back of the leg and if you look at videos of the injuries happening, sometimes the athlete will look behind them. 

An Achilles tendon rupture in a high-level athlete could take 9-12 months to heal and return to the sport they love. This recovery includes a surgery in which the tendon is reattached together or reattached to the heel bone, followed by a long period of physical therapy/rehab. What does rehab look like? Early on, the focus is on returning the joint's range of motion, or how much movement the joint can have. When range of motion returns, strengthening can begin in order to support the repaired tissue/structures. Later in their recovery, they can get back to running and jumping, and then finally, when the strength of one leg is close to equal to the other, sports-specific training and agility work can occur.

This process is very slow and a lot of hard work, not only physically but mentally as well, and this psychological recovery is usually underestimated by everyday people. But learning how to trust one of your body parts that has been surgically repaired after being injured is a taxing and non-linear process. 

Luckily, Agyemang seems to have a great support system not only from his home club, but he also posted on social media that he has gotten a wave of supportive messages wishing him a good recovery.

Agyemang’s absence likely means the United States will be led by Ricardo Pepi (PSV), Haji Wright (Coventry City), and Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), with Josh Sargent (Toronto FC) and Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps) now able to fight for a spot on the final roster.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and nothing in this article should be taken as medical advice