EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Midfielder Julian Green will miss the United States' exhibition games against Ecuador and Honduras because of a rib injury.
The 19-year-old trained with the Americans in Boston on Tuesday and Wednesday, but U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann says Green will return to Hamburg to recover from the injury, sustained Sept. 20 against Bayern Munich. Green sat out Hamburg's away match at Borussia Monchengladbach last week with the bruised rib as well.
"He's maybe at 80 percent," Klinsmann said Thursday. "Now to bring him into this game tomorrow night at 80 percent, that's not what we do."
Green scored against Belgium in the World Cup, then was loaned from Bayern Munich to Hamburg for the 2014-15 season.
"It makes more sense fly back, pick up the training right away and break into that team," Klinsmann said, "because that's the most urgent thing for him, is to break into the starting lineup of Hamburg."
The U.S. plays Ecuador on Friday night at East Hartford, Connecticut, in the international farewell match for Landon Donovan, the country's career scoring leader. The Americans face Honduras on Tuesday in Boca Raton, Florida.