New blow for the USMNT and Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the World Cup: another key player injured

The race for a place on the United States’ final 2026 World Cup roster is starting to tighten, and Mauricio Pochettino continues to weigh the decisions he will make next month, especially after the recent international window, which left the Argentine coach and his staff with some important conclusions.

One of the names that had seemed to be slipping down the list was Ricardo Pepi, who, with limited minutes, appeared to be one of the forwards least likely to make the final squad. But fate now seems to have other plans.

It emerged Tuesday that Patrick Agyemang, the Derby County and USMNT forward, suffered a serious injury that would rule him out of the World Cup. The English Championship club confirmed that the injury is to his Achilles tendon. No recovery timeline has yet been set, but it is expected to be a long-term absence.

“The Club can confirm that Patrick Agyemang sustained a serious Achilles tendon injury during the first half of the Sky Bet Championship fixture against Stoke City. As a result of this injury, Patrick will unfortunately miss this summer’s FIFA World Cup. At this stage, it would be inappropriate to set a timescale for his recovery,” Derby County said.

Who are the options up front for the USMNT at the World Cup after Agyemang’s injury?

With Agyemang sidelined, Mauricio Pochettino will now be forced to look for alternatives in attack, as the Derby County player had been seen as one of the 26 players likely to make the squad for this summer’s tournament.

Following Agyemang’s Achilles tendon injury, the Argentine coach could turn to Haji Wright, Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun as some of the main alternatives for his final list.

Names such as Alejandro Zendejas could also enter the picture, even though he is not an out-and-out No. 9 like Agyemang, because his attacking qualities allow him to play either out wide or even just behind the striker.

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