Christian Pulisic Back for U.S. Men's Team; Weston McKennie, Matt Turner Out

Christian Pulisic has returned to the U.S. men's national team for the September friendlies against Korea Republic and Japan, after skipping the summer's Gold Cup. However, notable absences from the roster include Weston McKennie and Matt Turner, who were starters in the 2022 World Cup, as coach Mauricio Pochettino selected a 23-player squad.

Other key players returning to the team are Tim Weah, Sergino Dest, and Josh Sargent, all of whom missed the Gold Cup where the U.S. lost to Mexico in the final. Sargent is in strong form, having scored in each of Norwich City's first four games this season, and he will compete for the striker position with Patrick Agyemang recovering from surgery and Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi returning from injuries.

Several players are omitted due to club commitments or injuries, including Antonee Robinson, who just played his first Premier League game for Fulham, and Malik Tillman, who is yet to debut for Bayer Leverkusen due to a calf issue. McKennie played minimally for Juventus and was unavailable earlier due to the Club World Cup, while Turner recently returned to the New England Revolution after time in the Premier League.

Additional omissions include midfielders Aidan Morris, Tanner Tessmann, Johnny Cardoso, and Yunus Musah, despite their strong starts in European leagues. In defense, Gold Cup participants Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, and Walker Zimmerman are passed over in favor of newcomers like 18-year-old Noahkai Banks from Augsburg and Tristan Blackmon from Vancouver Whitecaps.

Pochettino explained that the selection allows players recovering from injuries or with limited playing time to build fitness for future opportunities, as the team prepares for the 2026 World Cup. The roster features four uncapped players: Banks, Blackmon, goalkeeper Roman Celentano, and Jonathan Klinsmann, with only four more international windows before the World Cup squad is finalized.