United States men's national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino said that he is open to giving playing time to another goalkeeper besides incumbent Matt Turner in upcoming matches ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Turner last played in a competitive match during the Concacaf Nations League in March when he suited up in the 2-1 defeat to Canada in the third-place match.
His last competitive game for club side Crystal Palace came in a 3-1 FA Cup victory over Millwall on March 1. He didn't see the field in a single league match this season, and was an unused substitute in Saturday's FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
The U.S. has a pair of friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland in early June, followed by the Concacaf Gold Cup later in the month. Pochettino's side opens the Gold Cup group stage against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15, followed by matches against Saudi Arabia four days later and Haiti on June 22.
The Gold Cup will be the last competitive matches before the U.S. co-hosts the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.
Speaking to reporters on a zoom call during the Concacaf Gold Cup media day, Pochettino indicated he was well aware of the situation and spoken with Turner about it.
"I think it's true that [Turner is] not playing and we were talking with him and we translate the idea that for the future, in one year's time, I think he needs to find the way to compete every week," said Pochettino.
The U.S. coach added that otherwise, Turner could see himself falling behind his teammates.
"It's open now in our mind, it's open for another player maybe to challenge in between [the goalkeepers] and maybe to try to give the possibility to play [to] another player."
But Pochettino was clear that he'll wait to see his players up close before making any decisions.
"I think it's, like always for me, it's about how they're going to train and also, we are assessing a lot of players. I think we are going to have enough games to try to give the possibility to another keeper maybe to play, but that is not today the decision."
Pochettino was also asked about PSV defender Sergiño Dest, who recently made it back on the field after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL. Dest provides an important creative outlet for the USMNT, and was missed during the Nations League.
But Pochettino insisted that he won't be rushed into bringing Dest fully back, and that he would "take the best decision for him thinking not only in today, [but] also in the future of him and in the future of the national team."
When it comes to the preparations for the Gold Cup, Pochettino indicated that the players involved in the upcoming friendlies would also be the ones playing in the Gold Cup.
"I think under our consideration, the percentage is going to be high, the players that are going to be involved in the first two friendly games and then in the Gold Cup," he said. "I think it's a logical decision because I think if you want to prepare [for] the Gold Cup, I think you need your players being fit in the competition and in training."