When Mauricio Pochettino convened his U.S. national team for training camp last month near Philadelphia, Weston McKennie was in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. This was not a disciplinary action or a strategic message, as Pochettino has been known to convey to several veterans during this pivotal year.
Instead, Pochettino determined that McKennie—along with the national team—would benefit more from deepening his connection with new Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti than by participating in two U.S. friendlies.
That decision has reaped rewards. The Americans managed to achieve victories against Paraguay and Uruguay without McKennie and several key players who were injured. Meanwhile, McKennie has become an integral part of Spalletti’s squad, playing 90 minutes in each of the last ten matches.
This past Saturday, during his 200th appearance for Juventus over the last five years, he provided a second-half assist in a 2-1 victory against Roma, marking the third time in four matches that he has either scored or contributed to a goal.
In their last 12 games across three competitions, Juventus has recorded an impressive 8-1-3 record. With Saturday’s win, they now stand just one point behind Roma for the Serie A’s fourth Champions League spot for the 2026-27 season.
At 27, McKennie has proven to be a valuable asset not just in terms of minutes played and production, but also in his versatility. Out of his 18 starts, he has played eight as a right wing-back, five in central midfield, twice in attacking midfield, twice on right wing, and once at left wing-back.
As the World Cup approaches, this adaptability will give Pochettino numerous options. In October, Pochettino started McKennie in attacking midfield during friendlies against Ecuador and Australia. Since Pochettino took charge over a year ago, McKennie has also occupied wider and deeper central positions.
Pochettino still has ample time to evaluate McKennie and the entire player pool. The next international window is set for late March, with friendly matches against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta. About two months later, he will announce his 26-man World Cup squad.
Elsewhere in Europe this weekend …
Italy
Forward Christian Pulisic and second-place AC Milan took the weekend off after their 2-0 loss to Napoli in the Italian Super Cup semifinals on Thursday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Midfielder Yunus Musah made his first start in Serie A in four months, playing the entirety of Atalanta’s 1-0 victory against ten-man Genoa.
In Serie B, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann continued as the starter for Cesena, which tied 1-1 with Juve Sabia, extending their unbeaten streak to four matches and keeping them in fourth place, just three points shy of promotion.
Netherlands
The U.S. duo of Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest linked up for a goal early in the second half, with Pepi finding the net for the fifth time in six matches across all competitions as first-place PSV Eindhoven rallied to win 2-1 at Utrecht.
According to Opta, the 22-year-old striker has scored 15 goals in 13 Eredivisie starts since joining PSV last season, hitting the scoresheet in 10 of those matches, including the last four. In league play this season, Pepi boasts seven goals and one assist in 14 appearances (seven starts) for PSV, who are currently 15-1-1 and hold an 11-point lead over second-place Feyenoord as they head into the winter break. He also has three goals in five Champions League matches.
Dest recorded his fourth assist of the Eredivisie season.
England
It has been a challenging week for center back Chris Richards and Crystal Palace, who suffered a 4-1 loss at Leeds. Richards had a tough outing over the course of the match.
This difficult stretch started with a 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City in the Premier League, followed by a 2-2 home draw against Finnish club KuPS, leaving Palace in 10th place in the UEFA Conference League (Europe’s third-tier competition). A victory would have secured a top-eight finish and an automatic spot in the round of 16, but now they must contend with a playoff.
Midfielder Brendan Aaronson played 76 minutes for Leeds, who sit 16th in the 20-team league, while Palace remains in eighth.
Midfielder Tyler Adams has been sidelined for two to three months due to a torn MCL and missed Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw against Burnley.
Meanwhile, left back Antonee Robinson made his third consecutive appearance of 90 minutes in Fulham’s 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest.
In the Championship, Patrick Agyemang contributed to an own goal with his pressure in the first half, while his late effort for a winner was saved, resulting in Derby County settling for a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth. The former Charlotte FC forward has now accrued five goals and three assists in his inaugural season overseas.
Forward Haji Wright played 82 minutes as 10-man Coventry City secured a 1-1 draw at Southampton, putting them 12 points ahead for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Aidan Morris (leg injury) missed his fifth consecutive match for second-place Middlesbrough, while forward Josh Sargent (concussion) missed his second straight game for Norwich City.
Germany
Midfielder Malik Tillman made his seventh start in eight matches as Bayer Leverkusen triumphed over RB Leipzig 3-1, climbing into third place in the Bundesliga, behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. According to Fotmob analytics, Tillman ranks as Leverkusen’s third-best performer this season.
Noahkai Banks, a 19-year-old center back, made his tenth consecutive start in Augsburg’s scoreless draw with Werder Bremen.
Joe Scally (90 minutes) and midfielder Gio Reyna (65) both started in Mönchengladbach’s 2-0 defeat against Dortmund. Reyna has started the last four matches, a positive sign as he seeks to impress Pochettino.
Central midfielder James Sands continues to be a staple for St. Pauli, making his 14th start in a goalless draw at Mainz. Left wing back John Tolkin entered in the 63rd minute, helping Holstein Kiel end a four-game winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Dynamo Dresden.
France
During a cup weekend, forward Folarin Balogun (90 minutes) and Monaco faced a challenging task, emerging victorious with a 2-1 win at Ligue 1’s Auxerre, advancing to the round of 32.
Center back Mark McKenzie (90) captained Toulouse to a 2-1 victory at fifth-tier Lyon la Duchere. Winger Tim Weah played 69 minutes in Olympique Marseille’s impressive 6-0 win at third-division Bourg en Bresse Peronnas. Midfielder-defender Tanner Tessmann came on in the 78th minute as Olympique Lyonnais secured a 3-0 home win over seventh-tier Saint-Cyr Collonges with three second-half goals.
Others
In Scotland, Celtic center back Auston Trusty played 90 minutes in a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen, breaking a four-game losing streak and leaving the Glasgow club six points behind leaders Hearts with a match in hand. … In Spain, central midfielder Johnny Cardoso was not included in Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 triumph at Girona. He has made just one brief appearance in the past eight La Liga matches he has been available for.