United States men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday announced his 27-player roster for a pair of June friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland.
But the list was more notable for who isn't on the roster than who is, with mainstays Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Timothy Weah, Giovanni Reyna, Antonee Robinson and Yunus Musah all omitted and will miss the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Pulisic istaking time off after a grueling season in Europe that saw him log over 3,500 minutes while dealing with multiple nagging ailments, including a chronic hip flexor injury.
«Christian and his team approached the Federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break,» U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in a statement. «After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he's fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.»
Robinson is in a similar situation after featuring in 37 matches for Fulham this season, but missing out on the Concacaf Nations League last March. He is being shut down for the summer.
McKennie, Weah and Reyna will be taking part in the Club World Cup, with McKennie and Weah suiting up for Juventus and Reyna with Borussia Dortmund.
Another midfielder, Johnny Cardoso was named to the roster, but could also be occupied by the Club World Cup if his reported transfer to Atlético Madrid goes through. Norwich City forward Josh Sargent is another surprise omission.
While the final Gold Cup roster isn't
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