The U.S. will take the field at the World Cup in their opener against Wales in less than three weeks. It is just around the corner.

That means that every injury, every goal, every good performance and every bad outing is going to be picked apart and analyzed for how it might impact the U.S. team in Qatar. The move to a fall tournament means that, unlike previous World Cups, there is very little leeway for players who pick up injuries. Whereas in past years players had a few weeks to rehabilitate and heal at the end of club seasons, an injury that holds you out for two or three weeks in this cycle could leave you completely out of a World Cup.

Advertisement

The tight timeline also means that form could take on even more importance than usual.

Interestingly, it flips the script for MLS players. Typically during a summer World Cup, MLS players are in the midst of their regular seasons and form isn’t a problem. This time around, MLS players will have been off for several weeks before playing. That could be a good thing when considered in the context of injuries, but it certainly doesn’t help with match sharpness. To help mitigate this to some degree, MLS-based USMNT players whose teams are not in the playoffs have been gathering in Frisco, Texas for a camp aimed at maintaining their fitness.

The U.S. has seen a run of names come up with injuries recently. At least six players in contention for the roster have picked up injuries or missed games in the last two weeks. With just 20 days until that opener, let’s take a look, position by position, at how form and fitness are currently impacting the USMNT.

Goalkeepers

The bad news starts here for U.S. fans.

Injured

Presumed starter Matt Turner has missed the last two games for Arsenal with a groin/thigh injury. Turner, 28, moved to the Premier League club this summer from the New England Revolution and walked into a situation where he was going to be backing up England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. That means every single game Turner could get for the Gunners was going to be an important one. For him to miss a Europa League start is no small thing, and the U.S. staff is surely hoping that Turner will be back on the field for cup games on Nov. 3 and Nov. 9.

Not playing or out of form

NYCFC’s Sean Johnson was just knocked out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and thus won’t have a game between now and Qatar. Johnson would be expected to be the third goalkeeper, however, so his playing time is a bit less concerning. He was playing very well for NYCFC up until Sunday’s elimination.

Advertisement

Playing regularly

Zack Steffen continues to start for Middlesbrough in the English Championship, though his performances have not been overly convincing. Ethan Horvath is also playing regularly in the Championship with Luton Town.

It’s Turner’s health status that is of the utmost importance, however.

GO DEEPER

The players out of the World Cup - or in danger of missing Qatar

Fullbacks

Injured

There was a bit of an injury scare around right back Sergiño Dest, but AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli said this week that Dest will be available for the game on the weekend. The defender, who turns 22 on Nov. 3, is expected to start for the Americans in Qatar. He has mostly been coming off the bench since arriving at Milan on loan from Barcelona.

Antonee Robinson is back in the lineup for Fulham after an ankle injury kept him out of September camp. It is a bit unnerving for the U.S., though, that Robinson told The Athletic that he is “still trying to get used to playing on one ankle.”

Not playing or out of form

DeAndre Yedlin’s Inter Miami was bounced from the MLS playoffs on Oct. 17 and Nashville’s Shaq Moore was bounced on Oct. 15. Both Yedlin and Moore are in the U.S. camp for MLS players.

Playing regularly

Reggie Cannon continues to start regularly for Boavista in Portugal, as does Joe Scally at Gladbach. At left back, Sam Vines continues to start at Antwerp as he tries to stay in the picture as a potential back-up for Robinson.

Center backs

Hold on tight. There isn’t much good news to be had here.

Injured

Chris Richards was the player most presumed would step into the starting lineup when Miles Robinson went down with a ruptured Achilles tendon earlier this year. Unfortunately, Richards has managed just 201 minutes since his last game in the Bundesliga season last April due to injuries. He has not played for Crystal Palace since Aug. 27 and, according to Palace manager Patrick Vieira, is not expected back into team training until next week. For context, since last then, Aaron Long has played more than 2,600 minutes with RBNY and the USMNT, with more than 500 of those coming since Aug. 27.

Advertisement

Not playing or out of form

Walker Zimmerman is a lockdown starter for the U.S. Unfortunately, he won’t have played a game since Oct. 15, as his Nashville team was eliminated from the MLS playoffs.

Long, who has started next to Zimmerman regularly since June, was also bounced early from the MLS playoffs and will have more than a month without a game when the U.S. begins play in Qatar. In his last game, a loss to FC Cincinnati, a 2-1 loss on Oct. 15, forward Brandon Vazquez raced past Long for the game-winning goal, a moment that raised concerns about Long’s form.

Playing regularly

The other candidates for the position are playing at their clubs and it seems there are four players fighting for a couple of spots on the roster: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Mark McKenzie, Erik Palmer-Brown and Tim Ream.

Carter-Vickers is a lockdown starter for Celtic and seems likely to make the roster. McKenzie started all six games in October for Genk, all wins. Palmer-Brown started last week for Troyes against Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé in a 4-3 loss. He has been a regular starter all season long in Ligue 1.

Ream is maybe the most intriguing candidate. He has been a regular starter for Fulham, captaining the side, which currently sits seventh in the Premier League. Ream also has chemistry with Robinson, who starts at left back for Fulham. At the same time, Fulham has given up 22 goals this season, tied with Brentford for fourth-worst in the Prem and Ream hasn’t been with the U.S. since last September. If he is called for the World Cup, it would be a surprise inclusion, but potentially a good surprise considering the issues at the position.

GO DEEPER

Fearless and unforgiving, Tyler Adams led from the front in Leeds' win over Liverpool

Central midfielders

Injured

The U.S. got some troublesome news this week when Juventus announced that Weston McKennie would be out for a minimum of 15 days with a quad injury. McKennie has been a regular starter for Juve this season and is expected to be one of the first names on U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter’s team sheet at the World Cup. A 15-day return would peg McKennie’s return around Nov. 14, right around when he is set to report to Qatar with the U.S. team.

Things look a bit more dire for Luca de la Torre. Celta de Vigo announced that de la Torre is expected to be out for at least three weeks with a hamstring injury, or until around Nov. 20, which is a day before the U.S. is set to open up against Wales. Whether that keeps de la Torre off the U.S. roster remains unclear, but two of the potential options behind him, Eryk Williamson and Djordje Mihailovic, weren’t even included in the MLS fitness camp, so de la Torre could be on the roster as he regains his fitness. It’s worth noting that de la Torre has managed just 54 minutes all season in La Liga.

Advertisement

Not playing or out of form

One of the members of the U.S. fitness camp is Seattle’s Cristian Roldan. The Sounders did not make the playoffs this year, which means Roldan last played on Oct. 9. Roldan, considered a glue guy on the roster, was able to return from groin surgery to play in three games at the end of the season.

Playing regularly

It will be a great relief to USMNT fans that two of the most important players in this U.S. team are healthy and playing well. Tyler Adams had a bit of an injury scare, but is back in the Leeds lineup and played well in the win over Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.

Yunus Musah is expected to be a breakout player at the World Cup and, after missing the September camp due to injury, he is back in the lineup for Valencia in La Liga. The 19-year-old is vital to how the U.S. want to play in midfield, and his value went up when de la Torre went down with an injury.

One player on the fringe of the roster is 20-year-old Malik Tillman. The German-American has had an inconsistent season on loan at Rangers, where fans have focused in on his perceived lack of effort despite Rangers hoping to highlight his technical abilities. There is a similar dynamic between Tillman and many U.S. fans, but Tillman has been starting in Scotland and in Champions League and has a legit chance to be on the World Cup roster when it’s announced next week.

Wingers

Injured

This is the only position that is clean of injury, as both Gio Reyna and Tim Weah have gotten back on the field with their respective clubs in the past month after previous ailments.

Not playing or out of form

Two players who are veteran depth on this U.S. team are part of the MLS players’ fitness camp. Paul Arriola and FC Dallas saw their season end on Oct. 23. Jordan Morris, meanwhile, has not played a game since Oct. 9. It’s not a great development for Morris, who is in a fight for one of the final spots on the roster.

Playing regularly

All four key names at this position are featuring regularly at big clubs.

Advertisement

Christian Pulisic has started three of his last five games for Chelsea, scoring in a win over Wolves and assisting in the Champions League against RB Salzburg. The U.S.’s star player seems to be in good form right now, and the U.S. will hope that carries over to the World Cup.

Tim Weah has been working his way back from an injury that had held him out for the beginning weeks of the season. He’s gradually moved from 17 minutes on Oct. 9, to 26 minutes and two assists on Oct. 14, to his first start of the season and 69 solid minutes on Oct. 30 in a loss to Lyon. It’s solid progress for a player that brings pace and verticality to the U.S lineup.

Gio Reyna tweaked his hamstring while with the U.S. in September, but has made six appearances for Dortmund in October, including a pair of starts. He also scored against Stuttgart on Oct. 22, his first goal for Dortmund in over 400 days.

Brenden Aaronson started every game in October for Leeds and continues to set marks for distance run in the Premier League. His 13.2 kilometers run in Leeds’ win over Liverpool was the most ground covered by any player in the Premier League this season.

GO DEEPER

Rangers are crying out for Tillman's talent - he needs support, not criticism

Forwards

Injured

After a run of eight goals in 12 games for Norwich that spanned from mid-August through mid-October, Josh Sargent picked up a calf injury that held him out of last weekend’s win over Stoke City and will hold him out of their midweek game against QPR. The hope, Norwich manager Dean Smith said, is that Sargent will be back for Saturday’s game against Rotherham.

Not playing or out of form

Not only was Jesus Ferreira’s FC Dallas team eliminated from the playoffs on Oct. 23, but the MLS 2022 young player of the year also didn’t score in his final seven games at the club level. Ferreira’s last goal came on Sept. 10, when he had a brace against LAFC to round out a season with 18 goals and six assists.

Playing regularly

The U.S. will hope to get more goals from Ricardo Pepi and Jordan Pefok on the club level. Pepi has been playing regularly for a not-great Groningen side and has six goals in eight games since moving to Holland on loan. Pepi’s last goal came in a win over PSV on Oct. 22.

Advertisement

Pefok, meanwhile, is on a bit of a cold streak. After scoring four goals with two assists in his first eight games this season, Pefok has no goals and one assist over his last eight games. His last goal came on Sept. 18. Pefok’s chances with the U.S. have been limited, but he’ll remain in contention for a spot on the roster because of his ability in the air and to potentially play a role as a super sub in Qatar.

Listen: A new podcast docu-series from The Athletic

(Photo: Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)