No Pulisic, No McKennie: Pochettino Rolls the Dice as Musah Earns USMNT Recall

The United States men's national team will head into the September-October international window without two of their most recognisable faces after head coach Mauricio Pochettino left both Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie out of his latest squad. The decision, first reported by Football Italia, means the USA will be without their talisman's creativity at a pivotal stage of preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which they will co-host with Mexico and Canada. Pulisic, in sparkling form for AC Milan since arriving in Serie A, is the headline absentee, while Juventus midfielder McKennie also finds himself on the outside looking in. If the omissions raised eyebrows, the return of Yunus Musah provided the counterpoint. The Milan midfielder, Pulisic's club teammate at San Siro, is back in the fold after missing out on this summer's tournament squad — a snub that was widely read as a major setback to his international prospects. For a player once viewed as a foundational piece of the national team's young core, the recall represents a genuine lifeline. Musah now has the opportunity to force his way back into Pochettino's thinking with less than a year remaining before the World Cup kicks off on home soil, where every training camp and every cap will double as an audition. The absence of Pulisic and McKennie, meanwhile, will inevitably fuel debate among American supporters. Is Pochettino managing workloads for two players carrying heavy club minutes? Sending a message about standards? Or simply using friendly windows to stress-test alternatives before naming his tournament squad? Whatever the reasoning, the message is unmistakable: with the biggest tournament in the country's history looming, no place in this squad is guaranteed. For Musah, this window is a chance to prove his omission was a detour rather than a dead end. For Pulisic and McKennie, it is a reminder that reputation alone will not carry anyone to June. The countdown to 2026 is well and truly on — and the competition for places has rarely felt fiercer.