U.S. men’s national team midfielder Tyler Adams has withdrawn from Mauricio Pochettino’s November squad due to a head injury he sustained while representing Bournemouth at the weekend.
The 26-year-old will not make the trip back to the United States to join up with the USMNT ahead of international friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay. U.S. Soccer confirmed fellow midfielder Sean Zawadzki has also withdrawn from the Stars and Stripes’ roster due to injury.
Adams was involved in a clash of heads with Bournemouth teammate Adam Smith in the early stages of the Cherries’ 4–0 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday. The American midfielder received treatment but ultimately remained in the game until the final whistle.
Just one day later, Adams is now unavailable for the USMNT in the final international window of the year. Pochettino will miss the leadership and consistency of his anchor in the midfield, especially given the number of stars upon whom he cannot call already.
Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards, Tim Weah and Weston McKennie are all missing this camp as well. The USMNT captain returned from injury for AC Milan at the weekend, but he is taking the next two weeks to fully recover.
Pochettino Names Late Replacement for Adams, Zawadzki
In the absence of Adams and Zawadzki, Pochettino has called up LAFC midfielder Timmy Tillman. The 26-year-old, who previously represented Germany before switching his allegiance to the United States in 2023, comes into the November camp with just one USMNT cap to his name.
Tillman has impressed with LAFC this season, though. The former Bayern Munich man has played every second for the Black and Gold in the 2025 postseason so far, helping Steve Cherundolo’s side make the Western Conference semifinals.
Before he can turn his attention back to the MLS Cup playoffs, Tillman will hope to impress Pochettino enough to carve out a place with the Stars and Stripes ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With so many of his starters out injured, Pochettino will have to once again rely on fringe players to get the USMNT past Paraguay and Uruguay in the upcoming weeks.
READ THE LATEST USMNT NEWS, REACTION AND ANALYSIS
This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Suffers Major Injury Blow Ahead of November Friendlies.
