(Reuters) – Captain Christian Pulisic and midfielder Weston McKennie have returned to the United States squad for the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final matches against Jamaica, as head coach Mauricio Pochettino announced his 25-player training camp.
Pulisic and McKennie, who play for Italian clubs AC Milan and Juventus, respectively, missed the 2-0 friendly loss to Mexico last month. The duo will headline the two matches against Jamaica, Pochettino’s first official competitive games since being appointed as head coach of the U.S. in September.
Forward Tim Weah is also back in the squad, but will serve the second game of his two-match suspension during the first leg against Jamaica, after receiving a red card against Panama in the Copa America in June.
Midfielder Tyler Adams, who has struggled with injuries, was among the notable absentees, but Pochettino said the 25-year-old was a very important player for the future of the team.
“The most important thing now is to see the (Adams’) progression. We know very well that we need to look after him if we want to have him in the best condition for 2026 (World Cup). I think it is important to build that relationship,” Pochettino told reporters on Sunday.
The U.S., chasing a fourth-straight Concacaf Nations League title, visit Jamaica on Thursday before hosting the Caribbean side on Nov. 18 in St. Louis, Missouri.
U.S. NOVEMBER TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
Goalkeepers: Diego Kochen, Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Matt Turner
Defenders: Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty
Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson, Gianluca Busio, Johnny Cardoso, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Tanner Tessmann, Malik Tillman
Forwards: Cade Cowell, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Brandon Vazquez, Tim Weah, Alex Zendejas.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Nicholas Yong)
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