Jurgen Klinsmann thinks Clint Dempsey will be 'fine' after irregular heartbeat scare
Coach Jurgen Klinsmann is optimistic about Clint Dempsey returning to the fold with the U.S. men’s national team and the Seattle Sounders soon.
Speaking to fans in a live Facebook Q&A on Sunday, Klinsmann was asked about Dempsey, who was sidelined last week with an unexpected heart condition, and said he thinks Dempsey will be “fine.”
“Well, if there’s news it’s not on us to communicate it -- it’s on the Sounders, the Seattle Sounders will do that,” Klinsmann said. “But obviously our thoughts are always with Clint. We think that things will work out fine and within hopefully a couple weeks he’ll be back on the field.”
Dempsey was not called up for the USMNT’s ongoing series of World Cup qualifiers, which wrap up Tuesday (8 p.m. ET on FS1), after the Sounders announced Dempsey was “undergoing medical evaluations for an irregular heartbeat” without releasing further details. Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer declined to offer any updates on Dempsey’s condition last weekend.
Klinsmann has previously said he hopes the 33-year-old Dempsey can continue with the USMNT as far as the 2018 World Cup, and Copa America proved just how valuable Dempsey is for the Americans as he was perhaps the best attacking player on the field. The Sounders have missed their leading man too, which was especially apparent when they were trounced by the Portland Timbers last weekend, but they have said they will figure out a way to fight for the playoffs without him.
“We were gelling going forward with Clint in the lineup, so it's tough,” forward Jordan Morris told FOX Sports last weekend, “but obviously his health comes first 100 percent and we hope everything is good with that.”
MORE FROM FOX SOCCER:
