USA face Mexico in Glendale, California, this Saturday, October 3, where Mauricio Pochettino’s side holds home-field advantage. Pochettino took advantage of the start of the road to 2030 to refresh his roster and evaluate several young players, but the squad will go without Christian Pulisic.
Pulisic does not appear on the call-up list for the friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico, and Canada. The U.S. Federation did not report an injury or present his absence as a medical withdrawal. For that reason, the distinction is key: Pulisic did not drop off the list during camp, but rather was omitted directly by Pochettino.
The manager decided to begin the new cycle with other attackers and award minutes to less experienced players. As a result, the team loses its main playmaker, set-piece taker, and focal point in attack.
Other major USA absences
Weston McKennie represents the other high-profile absence in the starting lineup. The Juventus midfielder was omitted from the roster as well and, like Pulisic, does not feature among the injury drops announced afterward.
Christian Pulisic of USA
Another notable absence for Pochettino’s side is Folarin Balogun, who also missed the matchup against Mexico. The forward failed to make the roster after coming off an injury and seeing limited action at the start of the season with Monaco.
The attack faces a complicated situation, as Pepi was called up instead of Balogun. Unlike Pepi, Balogun did not have to leave camp because he was never included on the initial list, and his absence was confirmed from the moment Pochettino made his roster announcement.
Ricardo Pepi’s case is different. The PSV striker appeared on the original roster, but suffered an injury during a match against Twente and was forced to leave camp.
Key takeaways
- Christian Pulisic was omitted directly by Mauricio Pochettino from the roster.
- Weston McKennie was omitted from the roster as another major absence.
- Ricardo Pepi left camp after suffering an injury against Twente.
