Teammate's Injury Opens the Door for Pulisic and Balogun to Reclaim USMNT Spots

The storm surrounding Mauricio Pochettino's choice to omit both Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic from his first post-World Cup U.S. men's national team squad may not have subsided following Thursday's announcement.

Ricardo Pepi did earn a call-up for the autumn fixtures, but his spot in the 28-man provisional squad has now been thrown into question by a fresh injury. The 23-year-old lasted only eight minutes before collapsing to the ground in apparent pain during PSV Eindhoven's match against FC Twente on Sunday, and was immediately substituted.

The full extent of the injury remains unclear, but being forced off before the clock had even reached double digits is hardly an encouraging sign for a player expected to make the transatlantic trip for four matches across just 11 days. If Pepi is ruled out, Pochettino will face a significant decision in choosing his replacement.

USMNT Fall Internationals

Pochettino's Attacking Options for Fall Internationals

Wingers

Center Forwards

While Pochettino has no shortage of young talent, he is not exactly overflowing with striking options. Pepi was one of only three players in the fall squad who primarily operates through the center.

Red Bull New York's 18-year-old standout Julian Hall enjoyed an impressive run of goals to open the season but then went 13 consecutive league matches without finding the net from May onward. Hall finally ended that barren spell in the derby against New York City FC on Saturday — after the squad had already been announced.

Fellow teenager Justin Ellis has managed just one league goal all campaign for Orlando City. Yet the tall forward, who has featured on the wing at times in recent weeks, has contributed seven assists since July — a post-World Cup return that even Lionel Messi cannot surpass.

Zavier Gozo has also accumulated some senior minutes at center forward throughout his developing career, but there would still be an obvious need for another attacking presence should Pepi withdraw from the squad.

Who Is Most Likely to Replace Pepi?

Pochettino has placed his faith in youth with his latest squad selection, making a deliberate move toward laying the groundwork for the 2030 World Cup. That youthful character is most evident in the attacking positions.

More than half of the nine wingers and strikers Pochettino named are still teenagers. Malik Tillman stands as the elder statesman of the group at just 24. The reserved Argentine coach offered little in the way of a satisfying explanation for Pulisic's exclusion, but at 28, the winger appears to belong to a generation Pochettino is gradually moving away from.

Balogun only recently celebrated his 25th birthday and, unlike Pulisic, has never been the subject of any public criticism from his coach. Pochettino even revealed that he had personally called his leading scorer from the World Cup to discuss the turbulent breakdown of his proposed transfer to Premier League club Everton earlier this month. The warm-natured coach also left the door ajar for a quick recall, stating on Thursday: "Now he's focusing on trying to recover a little bit from a small issue in one of his legs."

On Friday evening, Balogun made his long-awaited seasonal debut for Monaco, coming on for the final 14 minutes of a 2–1 victory over Lens. The standout USMNT performer of the summer did create a chance for himself, drawing a strong stop from Robin Risser in the 90th minute.