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U.S. men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino has suffered yet another painful blow to his player pool ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, representing the third injury setback of April and arriving just over a month before his final squad selection deadline of May 26. The Argentine tactician will be forced to reassess his available options.
Goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann, son of former USMNT head coach and German icon Jürgen Klinsmann, sustained a broken neck on Saturday while featuring for Italian club Cesena. The 29-year-old, who had been a hopeful World Cup backup candidate, was carried off the pitch on a stretcher following a collision during stoppage time that resulted in a fracture of his first cervical vertebra, ending his season prematurely.
"During the match I sustained a fracture to my spine, which will keep me out for some time," Klinsmann wrote on Instagram on Monday. "I want to express my gratitude to everyone on the pitch and at the hospital here in Palermo, the supporters of both Cesena and Palermo for their kind messages, and of course my friends and family who have been by my side over the past few days.
"Best of luck to the lads in our playoff push, and I'll see you all very soon."
The news of Klinsmann's injury arrives just a week after U.S. depth left back John Tolkin sustained a medial knee ligament injury, ruling him out for at least the "coming weeks," and two weeks after U.S. forward Patrick Agyemang suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury, keeping him sidelined for the summer.
What Are the Next Steps for Pochettino?
Klinsmann had appeared in every Serie B match prior to his injury, recording five clean sheets for Cesena as the club chased a playoff promotion berth. Although the goalkeeper had yet to earn a senior USMNT cap, Pochettino called him up for both the September and November 2025 camps, including naming him in the squad for the 2–1 victory over Paraguay on Nov. 15. Klinsmann also carries considerable youth international experience.
Matt Freese of New York City FC is the Stars and Stripes' presumed starter for World Cup competition, having been part of the squad's March friendly against Portugal, the more challenging of the two European opponents faced during that international window.
Pochettino will now need to reconsider his best backup candidates, which include 2022 World Cup starter Matt Turner of the New England Revolution, Chris Brady of the Chicago Fire, Roman Celentano of FC Cincinnati, and the Columbus Crew's Patrick Schulte.
The experienced Turner remains the likely top backup, despite a difficult outing in the USMNT's 5–2 defeat to Belgium in the opening friendly of the March window. At club level, Turner has posted an impressive 74.4% save percentage across seven appearances, playing a key role in the Revolution's four victories so far this campaign.
Brady is off to a strong start in MLS this season, posting a save percentage of 78.4% and four clean sheets for Chicago, helping propel the side to fourth place in the Eastern Conference. When accounting for the quality and volume of shots on target Brady has faced, an average goalkeeper would have conceded between 11 and 12 goals, compared to the mere eight that Chicago's first choice has allowed. No other MLS goalkeeper has a superior record so far, according to FotMob.
Celentano returned from a leg injury this month after missing the March camp, but has yet to fully stabilize FC Cincinnati's struggling campaign. The Orange and Blue sit 10th in the Eastern Conference, and Celentano has conceded four goals across two matches since his return, with a 66.7% save percentage on the season.
Schulte holds a 60% save percentage this season. Columbus are similarly struggling, sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference with just a single win to their name this campaign.