Watford skipper Jay DeMerit says he feels a victim of cruel fate after having to beg out of a second successive US National Team camp with injury.

The Wisconsin-born stopper pulled his right groin in training on Thursday, after US coach Bob Bradley had added him to his roster to play Mexico in Houston on Wednesday.

"To be called up was a great feeling for me," DeMerit told American Soccer Daily. "I was all set to fly out on Sunday to be with the boys, but now for the second camp in the row, I have to sit out injured."

"I was called up for the South Africa game, and two days before that, I pulled my calf against West Brom. This is similar to the one I did back in March just before my first call-up when I straightened my groin. So, it's a little bit of a jinx for my international career right now."

DeMerit has garnered six caps for the US since making his debut against Guatemala in March 2007, including stints in the Gold Cup and Copa America.

With his team having slipped out of the Premier League, the 28-year old is well aware of the importance of staying on Bradley's radar, with a place in the 2010 World Cup roster the ultimate goal.

"I want to be involved in every camp, but for the last two, injuries have cropped up at the wrong time," DeMerit confirmed. "I haven't been injured all season except for the two weeks before these last two camps. You'll always get injuries, but sometimes they happen at the wrong time."

Without their captain, Watford defeated Wolves 3-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday to move back into second place in the Championship, and DeMerit hopes to be back in action in as little as 10 days.

"It's just under a grade two (strain), so normally that is two weeks," he reported. "Hopefully, I'll be back for the Charlton game (on February 16th). Regardless of where I was, to see the guys play like that on Saturday was a big step in the right direction for us all."

The Hornets travel to sixth place Ipswich on Saturday.