Pochettino Confirms Rotations Against Turkey, Offers Positive Pulisic Update

US coach Mauricio Pochettino is set to rotate his squad for their final Group D match against Turkey. The World Cup co-hosts have already secured top spot and a place in the Round of 16, prompting the decision to manage player availability due to accumulated yellow cards.

“I think it’s an easy answer for the guys who have yellow cards. It’s unnecessary to take a risk and then get another yellow card and be unavailable for the next stage in such a naive way,” Pochettino stated on Wednesday during his pre-match press conference.

The Americans have defeated Paraguay and Australia so far, with four players picking up yellow cards across those two matches: Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun, Antonee Robinson, and Tyler Adams. While the card count resets after the group stage, any suspensions incurred will carry over. The Argentine tactician also hinted at resting players like Malik Tillman, who joins the national team after a demanding season with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

Christian Pulisic is expected to be available after missing the Australia game due to a calf injury. However, it remains unclear whether he will start or come off the bench. “We need to decide if it’s possible for him to play from the start or be on the bench, with the possibility of coming on in the second half,” Pochettino commented.

Turkey will play their final match of the tournament, having already been eliminated. Despite this, the former Tottenham manager is under no illusions that it will be an easy encounter. “A team like Turkey, with such stars playing at the highest level, undoubtedly suffers from bruised pride. This is their final, and no one is under any illusion that it will be easy.”