USMNT roster prediction: Who will Mauricio Pochettino summon for his first competitive games?

This much we know about Mauricio Pochettino's second roster as coach of the U.S. men's national team, which will be announced on Sunday.

This squad will be smaller.

Pochettino selected 26 players last month for his first USMNT training camp, which included a 2-0 debut win over Panama at home and a loss by the same score away to Mexico. Those two matches, of course, were friendlies. The November home-and-home series against Jamaica in the Nations League quarterfinals counts, and Concacaf limits its squads to just 23 players.

That's three fewer places right there. Add in the return of several regulars from injury — three were forced to withdraw from the October roster in the days after it was named — and a few more players who were involved last month also figure to be omitted, even if Pochettino decides to bring an extra guy or two as cover.

So, who will get the call for the Nov. 14 visit to Kingston and the rematch in St. Louis four days later? Here are some of the factors that could inform Pochettino's picks, followed by a prediction.

There will be at least a few different faces this time, but those expecting major changes will be disappointed. Pochettino summoned almost the exact same group for his maiden camp that interim coach Mikey Varas invited in September. He has committed to assessing the existing USMNT assistant coaches and support staff through the final two international windows of 2024 before determining who will remain with the program in the lead-up to the all-important 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

With a place in the Nations League finals in March at stake, the new boss will surely rely on mostly the same core once again.

Pochettino will have Tim Weah available this time, sort of: Weah is suspended