Christian Pulisic won’t be playing either vs Peru. McKennie has been nursing and injury that has had him sidelined from Juventus games in the Serie A in Italy. That paired with the fact that Pochettino selected a very young group of players for this international window, made him a prime candidate to not play today vs Peru.

Folarin Balogun will also not play vs Peru. After all, Pochettino wants to see new blood start to become important for the USMNT. It’s very relevant for him to see new generations start to earn their place on the national squad.

McKennie is the engine for the USMNT

Weston McKennie serves more as the emotional heart, box-to-box engine, and chaos agent for the USMNT rather than its traditional “metronome” midfielder. He doesn’t dictate tempo, he disrupts the tempo of the rivals.

McKennie thrives when he is allowed to cover ground vertically. Rather than sitting deep to orchestrate passes, his strength is disrupting opponent builds, winning duels, and immediately transitioning the ball forward, as well as timing his ‘late‘ arrival to the box.

Who will play instead of McKennie for USMNT vs Peru?

Yunus Musah or Sebastian Berhalter are projected to fill the central midfield role in place of the absent Weston McKennie for the USMNT vs Peru friendly. Musah has similarities with McKennie due to his box-to-box prowess.

Meanwhile, Berhalter is more of a metronome. A traditional deep-lying playmaker with great technical range and precise long-range passing. Berhalter has more composure and dictates the game, while Musah is more of a ‘run-first, make play-second‘ kind of player.

Key takeaways

• Weston McKennie will miss the USMNT friendly against Peru while recovering from an injury.
• Head coach Mauricio Pochettino prioritized selecting a young squad for this international window.
• Yunus Musah or Sebastian Berhalter are projected to replace the missing midfielder in central midfield.

“No one is fit yet. Let’s hope we can get a couple back for next week,” manager Luciano Spalletti said, referring not only to McKennie but also to Andrea Cambiaso and Pape Matar Sarr. The Bianconeri head into this match dealing with several injury absences.

Juventus won their first two matches of the season and will look to pick up another three points to remain at the top of the table. Milan, who will also be without Christian Pulisic, will be looking to come away with a victory from their trip to Allianz Stadium.

What happened to Weston McKennie?

Weston McKennie has been dealing with muscle fatigue after pulling up during a Juventus training session in late August. To avoid a more serious tear, the club opted to play it safe and rest him, though he’s remained limited in training and missed recent fixtures such as Parma.

Fortunately, it isn’t a long-term setback, and he is expected to ease back onto the pitch within a week or two as he works his way back into full match fitness. The team needs his services, although Spalletti has several options available to fill in for him.

Juventus’ starting lineup

Winning and making it three victories in as many matches will be crucial for Juventus, who want to establish themselves among the title contenders. Luciano Spalletti will rely on these eleven players to start the match against Milan.

Guglielmo Vicario; Pierre Kalulu, Gleison Bremer, Jhon Lucumi, Zeki Celik; Manuel Locatelli, Douglas Luiz, Francisco Conceicao, Nicolas Gonzalez; Kerim Alajbegović, Kolo Muani.

The U.S. will take the field Sunday evening as strong favorites to win their group opener. Historically, they have been one of the most successful teams in Gold Cup history, trailing only Mexico in total titles. Alongside Canada, they are one of only three nations to have lifted the trophy since its rebranding in 1991.

Mexico, meanwhile, enter the tournament with seven Gold Cup titles to their name and will be pushing for an eighth. However, they also face key absences, including players who feature prominently in top European leagues. Among them is Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, a regular starter for both club and country who will miss this year’s competition.

Why is Weston McKennie not playing for the USA?

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino was forced to leave several core players off the squad during roster selection. In addition to the long-expected absence of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah, and Giovanni Reyna are also unavailable. As a result, the Stars and Stripes will be without several of their most experienced and technically gifted contributors.

McKennie’s absence is directly tied to Juventus’ involvement in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which overlaps with the Gold Cup. The same is true for Timothy Weah, who also plays for the Italian club. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund’s participation in the Club World Cup explains why Gio Reyna will also be missing from the U.S. squad this summer.

Other key absences add to concerns

The list of unavailable players doesn’t end there. Christian Pulisic will also sit out the tournament, reportedly due to personal reasons. According to team sources, the decision was made jointly by the player and the coaching staff, allowing the AC Milan winger to rest after a demanding club season in Italy.

Right back Sergiño Dest is another notable omission. He has been sidelined for months after suffering a torn ACL and is not expected to be fit in time for international duty. Given his lack of match fitness and recovery timeline, Dest was not considered for the final squad by the coaching staff.

In a strategic move, Pochettino has also opted to build the roster around domestic talent and rising stars, excluding those playing outside Major League Soccer or top European leagues. As a result, players like Cade Cowell and Alejandro Zendejas were left off the final list, signaling a shift in the U.S. approach to squad development for this tournament.

The call-ups come as Pochettino will finally coach his first two games in charge of the team against Panama at home on October 12 and a unique fixture for Mexico, as they will play a friendly match at home against the USMNT on October 15th.

We break down Pochettino’s first roster, noting some well-deserved returns to the US, as well as shocks and omissions. Overall, the roster is everything we have seen before; the question is, can Pochettino make it work where Gregg Berhalter could not in his second stint?

USMNT: Mauricio Pochettino Plays It Safe

Mauricio Pochettino did not want to get too creative. The USMNT is in desperate need of a good performance and some moral wins, so possibly some omissions were left home. The biggest surprise is again in goal, which sees the return of Zack Steffen. Who will rise to claim the starting position in goal for these games remains a mystery, as goalkeeping on the USMNT has been weak for some time now.

Marlon Fossey, who impressed last camp, is back, while Gianluca Busio gets a well-deserved call-up after good play for his club Venezia in Italy. Josh Sargent, who has been injured mostly when national team duty arrives, will be a player to watch with his impressive form with Norwich City in England.

In regard to second chances, Pochettino has called back underperformers Ethan Horvath, Matt Turner, Miles Robinson, Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman, some of whom are getting what could be a final chance with the team.

Important omissions include Cameron Carter-Vickers, who picked up an injury; goalkeepers Diego Kochen and Gabriel Slonina, who were left off in favor of more experienced but disappointing choices; and Giovanni Reyna, who is also injured.

Diego Luna, who is by far one of the more interesting young talents in MLS, continues to get snubbed from the senior team, as does Tanner Tessmann, who is still adapting to life at Lyon. Winger Rokas Pukštas has also been left home despite interest from top clubs in the American playing in Croatia.

Full USMNT Roster

GOALKEEPERS (4): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 45/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege; 1/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 5/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 14/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 62/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 46/4), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 29/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach/GER; 12/0), Auston Trusty (Celtic/SCO; 2/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 44/8), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 13/1), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 17/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 56/11), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough/ENG; 7/0), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 41/0), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 14/0)

FORWARDS (6): Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 17/5), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven; 30/10), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 73/31), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 25/5), Timothy Weah (Juventus/ITA; 41/6), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 13/4)

Now under new manager Thiago Motta, who did not assign McKennie a squad number at the start of the season, it will be interesting to see where the USMNT star fits into Motta’s new 4-2-3-1 formation.

McKennie faced a similar situation last season but managed to regain his starting position and became one of Juventus’ leading assist providers.

Details of Weston McKennie’s Juventus Contract

According to Tom Bogert, Weston McKennie signed a one-year extension with the club, keeping him at Juventus until June 2026. McKennie reportedly sought an annual salary of 5 million euros, but Bogert reported that the American accepted the same salary (reported 3M Euros) to extend his contract.

While Weston McKennie and Juventus are now back on good terms, both parties seem to have a clear objective: to get McKennie playing and possibly look for a move later on. Juventus has always seen value in McKennie for a potential transfer, but despite inquiries from other clubs, a transfer has never materialized.

Bogert also reported that FC Cincinnati of MLS expressed significant interest in McKennie. However, despite a summer courtship between the club and player, McKennie ultimately chose to stay in Europe.

Juventus had been looking to “cash in” on McKennie, particularly since contract renewal talks had stalled late last season. The American was reportedly seeking a significant salary increase, from around €3 million to €5 million annually.

Even though he is in the final year of his contract and transfer talks have cooled, both Juventus and McKennie are now reportedly open to discussing new terms for a longer commitment. This development could potentially see McKennie reintegrated into the Juventus first team.

Is Weston McKennie back at Juventus?

According to Matteo Moretto, discussions between McKennie and Juventus have resumed, which may lead the team to reassess their stance on the box-to-box midfielder.

McKennie has demonstrated his capability at the high level required by Juventus. Over four seasons with the club, he has played 134 games, scored 13 goals, and provided 15 assists. He has also won three domestic cups with Juventus.

Weston McKennie’s current contract with Juventus is set to expire in June 2025.

AC Milan and Juventus feature three main players of the USMNT, with Christian Pulisic turning into a real star of the Italian Serie A after an excellent breakout season for the Rossoneri.

Below are the six American players who will be playing in Serie A. We list six because it could also be seven, but Weston McKennie’s situation is still unknown.

Americans in Serie A

AC Milan features two of the best USMNT players currently. Christian Pulisic will either play down the middle or on the wings for AC Milan. Yunus Musah could upgrade to a more consistent starting position rather than a role player after a good preseason.

Over at Como, who were recently promoted, striker Nicholas Gioacchini will be coming off the bench. Meanwhile, at Venezia, the progression of Gianluca Busio will be fun to watch as the midfielder has great passing and shot-taking capabilities.

Tim Weah seems to be in the plans at Juventus, but can he gain a more prominent starting role for the club? Weston McKennie has offers from Fiorentina and possible destinations in Germany, so it’s still up in the air whether he will stay this season.

Tanner Tessmann is also a player who might move from Venezia, but all signs point to another team in Italy, given the midfielder’s interest from Inter Milan and Fiorentina.

For several years, two players have shattered every record imaginable, generating both admirers and critics. They have created a true football divide and sparked a new debate on who is the new GOAT: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?

Many professional players publicly declare their support for one or the other in this debate. Often, those who have played alongside both the Portuguese and the Argentine tend to lean toward one side or the other.

During the 2020-21 season, one of the stars of the USMNT played alongside CR7 in Juventus. Over the course of that year, they developed a strong bond, which is why, when asked in an interview whether he considered Ronaldo or Messi the greatest of all time, he didn’t hesitate to respond.

The player in question is none other than Weston McKennie, who played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. It was during that year that the American was amazed by every training session and match he shared with the Portuguese forward.

Weston McKennie’s top 5 choices

In addition to choosing his former Portuguese teammate over the Argentine star, Weston McKennie made four other decisions about player selections in an interview with @GoalUSA.

Another interesting detail is that when asked whether he would choose Vinicius Jr or Kylian Mbappe, the American player opted for the Brazilian, leaving the new Real Madrid superstar behind.

What’s next for Weston McKennie?

The American player is entering the final year of his contract with the Turin team and is awaiting his future once it concludes. While he has been linked with moves to both Premier League and MLS teams, his destination remains uncertain, and he is focused on preparing for the upcoming Serie A season.

It’s a sad end considering McKennie had a career season for Juventus in 2023/24, setting an all-time high with 7 assists. In his four seasons at the club, McKennie recorded 104 Serie A appearances, 9 goals, and 10 assists.

Juventus is looking to swap McKennie for Fiorentina‘s Argentine winger Nico Gonzalez, and according to Nicolò Schira, talks are positive, with the American reportedly greenlighting the deal. All that stands in the way is McKennie’s salary.

How Much Does Weston McKennie Want to Move to Fiorentina?

According to various reports, McKennie is seeking around 5 million euros per season, while his current Juventus salary is reported to be around 3 million euros. Nico Gonzalez wants approximately €3.6 million.

McKennie had a poor Copa America by his standards, and his comical and lighthearted demeanor internally has been frowned upon by Juventus management, although the American was regularly featured on the team’s social media channels.

When in form, McKennie is an intense box-to-box player who has had great success in Serie A and the German Bundesliga.

Reported initially by Matteo Moretto, not much information has been given, but the Relevo journalist stated that the Italian club wants both Americans.

Tanner Tessmann is currently with the USMNT Olympic side, while Weston McKennie is back at full training with Juventus preparing for the start of the Serie A season.

Weston McKennie

Juventus has reportedly been shopping Weston McKennie for some time. While those rumors seem a bit inflated, the American midfielder is coming off his best season in Serie A, playing very well as a setup man and truly finding his footing with the club.

In order for Weston McKennie to leave Juventus, a very good offer must come in. The USMNT star is currently holding contract talks with Juventus, but moving one of their assist leaders to Fiorentina looks farfetched.

Tanner Tessmann

Tessmann has been followed closely by Fiorentina, and after a move to Inter Milan fell through, La Viola could pounce. The American central midfielder is coming off a banner year in Serie B with Venezia and was one of the few bright spots in the US’s 3-0 loss to France in the Olympic games.

This summer, drama surrounds the Juventus midfielder regarding his future, as talks of a contract renewal with Juventus have stalled once again.

Juventus reportedly considered a solution involving a transfer and trade deal to bring Douglas Luiz to the club, but McKennie turned down a move to Aston Villa due to salary demands.

What kind of salary is Weston McKennie seeking?

According to Forza Juventus, McKennie is demanding an annual salary of 5 million euros, approximately two million more than his current earnings. Juventus is hesitant to meet McKennie’s salary demand, although the midfielder remains under contract until next season after an impressive campaign, finishing among the team’s top assist providers.

A surprising development emerged on Thursday: MLS club FC Cincinnati is reportedly willing to pay a $15 million transfer fee to acquire McKennie.

Additionally, there is speculation that Napoli, now managed by Antonio Conte, is interested in the American midfielder and could make a move.