[AMERICANS ABROAD] Bad news, it seems, comes in pairs regarding English-based U.S. under-20 national team players. First, Will Packwood suffered a broken leg playing for Birmingham Jan. 5 in the FA Cup. On Sunday, 18-year-old Marc Pelosi suffered the same injury playing for Liverpool's U-21s. Pelosi's broken leg followed a nasty challenge by West Bromwich's Liam O'Neil in the 90th minute of their Barclays U-21 Premier League match and resulted in a straight red card.

Pelosi's injury is a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg and will require surgery.

Pelosi had recently been put on Liverpool's first-team roster for the Europa League knockout phase and he has been playing for Liverpool in the NextGen Series, a European club competition for under-21 teams.

His fast climb up the ladder at Anfield meant he was unavailable for the USA's campaign in Concacaf under-20 qualifying that begins Monday.