Ricardo Pepi, a striker for PSV Eindhoven and the U.S. men's national team, is nearing a comeback after a knee injury suffered during a Champions League match in January. After scoring the winning goal in that match, he had meniscus surgery, which sidelined him for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season and the Concacaf Gold Cup. Pepi is now almost 100% ready and has a new mindset for the upcoming season, having taken on the iconic No. 9 shirt. He acknowledges the expectations that come with it, emphasizing self-expectation and team contribution.
"It's amazing. I've been waiting for the past five months and now I am back on the pitch with the team. I think I am really close [to being back] I think about, almost close to 100%, doing the last little steps and then I will be back."
"It's one of those things where you are just super impatient to get back to the field, it's super important to take the right steps because you cannot rush an injury. It's about when your body feels ready to be back and now I am very close to being back and super excited to get this season going."
"I think they have really big expectations but no one has more expectations on me than myself. It's a good balance between helping the team out and also achieving my goals."
"I think it'll be a good year for sure, the past two seasons we've gotten a taste of what I can do so it'll be interesting to see this year."
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