“We always carry a pretty young squad,” remarked USMNT interim coach Mikey Varas ahead of the Canada clash. Well, in his defense, the Star and Stripes indeed, never compromise when selecting the ideal roster, often opting for a blend of both youth and experience. However, the same can’t be said for the 24-player group for this September window, especially with Weston McKennie being notably absent.

The Juventus star is one of the obvious names that makes the cut in any roster, unlike this time. But what exactly is the reason for his absence? To break the ice, no, the 25-year-old isn’t injured, and neither he can be blamed entirely for his absence. It was rather a challenge that Varas faced while selecting his group.

“September is always a tricky window,” he said during the pre-match presser. “You have players coming off international tournaments and then straight into preseasons, players who are trying to establish themselves and their places at clubs, and you have a lot of movement in the transfer window,” continued Varas, urging to look at the bigger picture.

Leaving McKennie can be considered a pragmatic step, as Varas believes this call will prove beneficial in the long run. “In the case of Weston McKennie, he wasn’t able to do a full preseason, so the best thing for him in collaboration with player, club, and country is to leave him at Juventus and let him catch up and get ready for his season,” he concluded.

Yet, that doesn’t mean McKennie shouldn’t worry about his place in Team USA. Despite recently signing a contract extension, the 26-year-old has been benched at Juventus under new head coach Thiago Silva. That explains why defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, a mainstay at Celtic, and Miles Robinson, who’s had a mixed first season with FC Cincinnati, are also not included.

Interestingly, Varas even addressed the snub of Antonee Robinson. And surely, the left-back looks in the safe zone for now. “Jedi [Robinson] has been playing banged up for the last year, and the best thing for him at this moment is to stay back, reset, and get ready for a long, grueling Premier League season,” commented Varas, again focusing on the importance of long-term decisions.

It’s not that Robinson’s place in the squad was in danger, rather it wasn’t feasible for him to balance his domestic as well as national side. But again, McKennie did miss out on the chance of impressing his potential new boss Mauricio Pochettino, who will surely be keeping an eye on this group. Regardless, while these players are out due to various big-picture decisions, might we take a look at the injured list of players?

Aside from Weston McKennie, other USMNT stars were also forced out to face Canada

Youngster Giovanni Reyna has been removed from the 24-player squad at the eleventh hour due to a left groin strain he sustained during a training session. Further tests will determine the extent of the injury and help plan his recovery. In the meantime, Chivas superstar Cade Cowell will step in to replace the Borussia Dortmund star.

In terms of other injuries, Sergino Dest also makes the cut as he continues to recover from an ACL tear. Additionally, Tyler Adams is also sidelined, grappling with persistent back issues that have impacted his time at Bournemouth, while Tim Weah is out with a hamstring injury he sustained during Juventus’ season opener.

Indeed, the injury list is quite a huge blow for the US Men’s National Team. It remains to be seen whether all these absentees will be affecting the scoreline against Canada.