United States central defender Omar Gonzalez has been ruled out of the World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica and Panama with a hip injury, U.S. Soccer said on Tuesday.
L.A. Galaxy defender Gonzalez will be replaced by Michael Orozco who plays in theMexican league for Puebla and who has 10 caps.
Juergen Klinsmann's U.S. team, who have already secured their place in next year's World Cup finals in Brazil, host Jamaica in Kansas City on Friday and then travel toPanama City four days later.
Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler and Stoke City's Geoff Cameron are the most likely central defensive pairing for Friday's game although including Orozco would allow Klinsmann to play Cameron at right-back, where he currently plays for his English club.
(Reporting by Simon Evans, editing by Justin Palmer)
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