John Brooks to miss US World Cup qualifiers with back injury

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Defender John Brooks will miss the United States’ three World Cup qualifiers this month because of a back injury. Wolfsburg coach Mark van Bommel said the 28-year-old Brooks will not travel from Germany to Texas, where the Americans play Jamaica on Thursday night. Brooks started two of the Americans’ first three qualifiers in September and is among the few veterans of the team that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Von Bommel said Brooks may be healthy by the Oct. 16 match against Union Berlin. Brooks became the second defender dropped from the 27-man roster announced last week.