Mauricio Pochettino’s 23-man United States men’s national team roster has some significant developments ahead of facing Panama on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+ in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals. The coach confirmed that Antonee Robinson, Johnny Cardoso and Auston Trusty are the players who won’t be available due to injury issues. They’ll be replaced in the squad by Jack McGlynn, Brian Gutierrez and Max Arfsten.
“For different reasons, medical reasons, they’re not here and that’s difficult to explain because I am not a doctor,” Pochettino said.
With these additions, Pochettino will bring in more players who were involved in the January camp where the USMNT defeated Venezuela and Costa Rica. There are nine players currently on the roster who were in that camp where Pochettino got to see what the USMNT’s domestic-based talent could do, and now they’ll get a chance to prove if they’re ready for the next steps in their international careers.
Considering proximity and Pochettino’s growing familiarity with the USMNT’s MLS contingent, it makes sense that so many of these players would be domestic ones to be added on short notice, but it also shows the importance of January camp to building depth around the squad.
While there are more players to choose from in Europe than ever, with those players nearing the end of a grueling season, it only makes sense that injuries could pop up at times like this. There’s also the timing factor with only three days of training before the semifinals kick off.
So, how do they manage without Robinson, easily the most impressive American abroad this season not named Christian Pulisic?
Coping without Robinson
Robinson has 50 caps and has become one of the first names on the USMNT team sheet along with becoming one of the top left backs in the Premier League with Fulham. His 10 assists have been important in pushing the cottagers up the pitch and his athleticism has also allowed Pochettino to use him stepping into midfield to push the attack forward.
Without Sergino Dest already, how the USMNT will continue that in Nations League play will now become a key story. Arfsten is a promising player for the Columbus Crew and is able to push higher up the pitch as a winger but balancing attacking and defensive responsibilities is key.
The USMNT has only won one of the last five non-January camp matches that they’ve played without Robinson, a 4-0 triumph over Ghana and not only does the attack lack a punch without the Fulham man but the defense suffers as well creating quite an issue for Pochettino.
This is where depth comes in though because at the moment, there is no replacement for Robinson on the roster. By the end of Nations League play, either that will be a bigger issue or the USMNT will find a way to cope without him as Pochettino improves the depth of the squad. These are the kinds of things that he’ll need to overcome on the road to the 2026 World Cup, so it’s good to begin those challenges in a competitive match as soon as possible.
USMNT Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 30/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 49/0)
DEFENDERS (7): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 18/0), Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege/BEL; 1/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 17/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 67/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 23/1), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 19/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 42/2), Brian Gutierrez (Chicago Fire; 2/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 3/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 58/11), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 31/8), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyon/FRA; 6/0)
FORWARDS (7): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 2/2), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo; 3/1) Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 45/1), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 76/32), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 27/5), Timothy Weah (Juventus/ITA; 42/7), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 3/1)
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