At the start of the 2012–13 season, Richards suffered ankle injury during the Summer Olympics tournament and was sidelined for a month. By mid–September, he returned to full training. It was not until on 6 October 2012, Richards made his first appearance of the season, starting the whole game, in a 3–0 win over Sunderland. He went on to make three more appearances for the side throughout October. However, Richards suffered a knee injury during a 1–0 win over Swansea City and was sidelined for four months. By March, he returned to full training. It was not until on 17 April 2013, Richards made his return to the first team, starting a match before being substituted in the 83rd minutes, in a 1–0 win over Wigan Athletic. However, his return was short–lived when he was dropped by Mancini in the first team, including the FA Cup Final. But Richards made his return to the starting line-up for the remaining three matches of the season, including being a captain against Reading on 14 May 2013. At the end of the 2012–13 season, he went on to make eight appearances in all competitions.