A lot of big names returned to the U.S. men’s national team squad for the November international break, but there were also just as many names missing.

Mauricio Pochettino unveiled his 25-player roster for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals on Wednesday, calling up a healthy mix of young stars and trusted veterans for a home-and-away tie against Haiti.

The likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun all returned to the fold after being overlooked for the September-October international window. They joined fellow World Cup standouts Tyler Adams, Chris Richards and Alex Freeman, as well as exciting teenage breakout stars Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall and Justin Ellis.

While most of his roster filled up with ease, Pochettino still had to make some major calls all over the pitch, leaving a slew of strong players at home for the final major camp of the calendar year.

Ricardo Pepi

Things just aren’t going right for Ricardo Pepi. The striker had to withdraw from the September-October international break due to injury, forced to sit at home and watch Hall, Sullivan and Ellis impress up top.

Pepi returned from injury on Halloween and bagged a goal and an assist off the bench in PSV Eindhoven’s thumping win over Willem II. The 23-year-old would have hoped that performance convinced Pochettino, but he was left off the Argentine’s roster.

Since Pepi just returned from injury, his snub could have been a precautionary measure from Pochettino. But it’s also just as likely the manager simply preferred to get more work in with his three teenage forwards.

Either way, Pepi is once again on the outside looking in.

Yunus Musah

If there’s one player who knows all about falling up and down Pochettino’s pecking order, it’s Yunus Musah. The midfielder missed out on the 2026 World Cup after a woeful stint with Atalanta, but finally found his footing again at Milan under new boss Ruben Amorim.

Musah enjoyed regular minutes at the club level and impressed enough to earn a place in Pochettino’s squad for the team’s four fall friendlies. The 23-year-old made three appearances during the September-October international window and two of them were starts.

Musah’s performances were hardly exceptional, but they were solid enough to expect another call-up in November, especially when taking into account his form for Milan. But Pochettino had no room for the American with McKennie and senior debutant Santiago Castañeda rounding out his engine room.

Aidan Morris

Speaking of fierce competition in midfield, Aidan Morris also could not snag a place in Pochettino’s 25-player squad. The 24-year-old has not donned red, white and blue since the March international break.

Morris must be thinking, What more could I possibly do? The midfielder is a permanent starter for Middlesbrough, logging 90 minutes after 90 minutes in the EFL Championship.

His relentless work-rate and defensive prowess are on full display week in and week out, and he even has two goals already to his name this season—the most he has ever scored in his three years playing at the Riverside Stadium.

What likely makes the snub even harder to swallow is his partner in midfield, Sebastian Berhalter, is one of Pochettino’s favorites.

Tim Weah

Tim Weah would have hoped his 2026 World Cup call-up solidified his place in Pochettino’s plans moving forward. But he did little to make his case on home soil last summer; in fact, he gave his manager too many reasons to look elsewhere.

Gone are the days of Weah completing a USMNT attack with Pulisic and Balogun. The 26-year-old, who now typically finds himself playing as a right back or right wingback, has never truly recovered from his red card at the 2024 Copa América.

It doesn’t matter that Weah is a consistent starter at Marseille and has three goal contributions in his last four appearances. His lack of production for the USMNT—his last goal on the international stage came in November 2024—is enough for Pochettino to give his spot to another player, one who not only makes an impact going forward, but also fits into the boss’s system.

Peyton Miller

Snub might be a bit extreme, but Peyton Miller’s omission surely came as a surprise. The New England Revolution standout was one of the debutants who impressed during the September-October international break, so much so that he returned to MLS action with Premier League transfer buzz.

Miller is enjoying a sensational season with the Revolution, tallying 14 goal contributions in 31 appearances at just 18 years old. The fullback might not get the same hype awarded to forwards like Sullivan and Hall, but he is an incredibly exciting prospect.

The good news for Miller is he will have plenty of more opportunities to impress Pochettino before the 2030 World Cup. The Stars and Stripes are back in action in December, which will be a camp largely for MLS players.