Pulisic will miss the US team’s November friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay

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Christian Pulisic will miss the United States’ friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay, the penultimate series of matches before coach Mauricio Pochettino calls up players for his pre-World Cup training camp, while Gio Reyna is back in the squad for the first time since March.

Midfielder Weston McKennie and goalkeeper Matt Turner were among the notable omissions from the 25-man squad announced on Thursday.

Forward Ricardo Pepi, midfielder Tyler Adams and defenders Joe Scally, John Tolkin and Auston Trusty are back with the 16th-ranked USA for matches against No. 39 Paraguay on November 15 in Chester, Pennsylvania, and 15th-ranked Uruguay three days later in Tampa, Florida.

Pulisic injured a hamstring during an October 14 friendly against Australia, but AC Milan said he is likely to be available for Saturday’s Serie A match in Parma. The attacking midfielder is America’s top player and was criticized for skipping the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer to rest his body ahead of the European season and the World Cup.

Reyna, a son of former captain Claudio Reyna, has made just one appearance for the US team since the 2024 Copa America, appearing as a 69th-minute substitute in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place loss to Canada. Slowed by a thigh injury following his transfer to Borussia Mönchengladbach, he has been limited to one start and four substitute appearances in the Bundesliga.

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Pepi and Trusty are back with the team for the first time since Pochettino’s second camp in November. Scally, like Reyna, has not been with the group since the Nations League final. Adams missed the October Games because his wife was about to give birth.

In addition to Pulisic, others missing the games because they are injured or recovering from injuries include defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles) and Antonee Robinson (knee), winger Tim Weah (thigh), midfielders Malik Tillman (thigh) and Johnny Cardoso (ankle), and goalkeeper Chris Brady (lower body).

McKennie has a new coach at Juventus, while Turner has not played since the Major League Soccer season finale in New England on October 18. Pochettino did pick a pair of MLS players whose teams were eliminated from the playoffs on October 22: defender Alex Freeman and midfielder Diego Luna.

Defender Chris Richards was left out despite playing 90 minutes in all ten of Crystal Palace’s Premier League matches. Midfielder James Sands and attackers Patrick Agyemang and Alejandro Zendejas also dropped out.

Others on the squad after missing October’s games include goalkeepers Roman Celentano and Jonathan Klinsmann, right-back Sergiño Dest and midfielder Sean Zawadzki. Celentano and Klinsmann are the only two players on the roster who have not made their American debut.

Pochettino’s team will play a few friendlies in March and then report back at the end of May ahead of the World Cup opener on June 12.

Published on November 6, 2025