United States men’s national team captain and AFC Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams recently underwent back surgery following the Copa América, as confirmed by manager Andoni Iraola on Friday.
The surgery is expected to sideline Adams for the beginning of the upcoming Premier League season, although specific details were not disclosed by Iraola.
“He finished the season with the injury in his back,” Iraola stated, via ESPN. “He wanted to play Copa América because it was very important for him, but he had restrictions and was still in pain, so two days after they were knocked out, he had surgery.”
During the Copa América tournament this summer, Adams played a total of 180 minutes with the USMNT, with half of that time coming in their 1-0 defeat to Uruguay which resulted in their elimination from the competition before the knockout stage.
Adams revealed that he initially sustained the back injury towards the end of the previous season with Bournemouth, but believed it was improving prior to joining the USMNT. He was under a minutes restriction leading up to Copa América due to the injury.
“I felt good coming into camp and ready to train, but they were like, ‘No, no, no, let’s just build it up properly.’ Because again, the most important thing for me is obviously to have a good Copa América, but to get into preseason ready to go,” he told ESPN in June. “I just want to get in a fit place where I can have an eight, nine, 10-week buildup into the start of the season and be in a really good place to become robust again.”
Adams joined Bournemouth in a $25 million transfer from Leeds United last autumn. Since then, he has faced multiple injuries, including surgery on his right hamstring in October. He made just four first-team appearances for the team last season, totaling 138 minutes on the pitch.
Finishing 12th in the Premier League standings last season, Bournemouth, in their second season back in the top tier following a two-year spell in the EFL Championship, is gearing up to face Wrexham in a friendly match in California this Saturday. Their Premier League campaign will kick off on August 17th against Nottingham Forest.