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Gedion Zelalem out of U-20 World Cup, will miss 6 months with torn ACL

Published May. 24, 2017 4:05 p.m. ET

U.S. Soccer has ruled Gedion Zelalem out for the remainder of the U-20 World Cup with a knee injury. That injury is a torn ACL that will require surgery and keep him out for at least six months, according to the Washington Post.

Zelalem was hurt in the United States' opening match of the U-20 World Cup and was subbed off in the first half.

The injury could not come at a worse time for Zelalem. He's out of contract at Arsenal and was hoping for a big U-20 World Cup to help him find the right club to sign with. Now not only will he not have that, but it will be very difficult to find a club that's interested in a player who won't be able to play again until 2018.

Zelalem was once the Americans' brightest young talent and one of the most promising players in the Arsenal academy. He was long tipped to break through into the Gunner' first team, but never quite did. Loan spells to Rangers and VVV-Venlo didn't help either, which is what made this such an important summer for him.

Zelalem is still very talented and, at 20 years old, can still turn into the player so many tipped him to be. But this was going to be a big summer for him as he tries to make good on the expectations heaped upon him when he was a teenager and now that's been wiped out at the worst possible time.

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