Story bySteven GoffContributing writerMon, February 23, 2026 at 6:00 AM UTC·7 min readWith Mauricio Pochettino about three weeks from selecting the U. S. roster for March training camp and friendlies, a rush of good news concerning two players arrived a few hours apart Saturday:Midfielder Tyler Adams was on the field for the first time in more than two months and striker Ricardo Pepi was in uniform for the first time in six weeks. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdams, who recovered earlier than anticipated from a sprained knee ligament, started in Bournemouth’s 0-0 draw at West Ham, while Pepi, in uniform after recovering from a fractured forearm, scored a sensational goal as a second-half sub in PSV Eindhoven’s 3-1 triumph over Heerenveen. With both back in the mix for national team duty next month — Adams is certain and Pepi is probable — Pochettino has, at the moment, almost his entire player pool available for selection. Only midfielder Gio Reyna (muscular issue) and winger Alex Zendejas (adductor) have remained out for multiple weeks. Adams, the 2022 World Cup captain, missed 10 matches before suiting up at Everton on Feb. 10 — an absence of eight weeks instead of up to a feared three months.
