United States international Giovanni Reyna said he's disappointed, but that he understands why he was left out of Mauricio Pochettino's squad for a pair of upcoming friendlies in September.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder just completed a move to Borussia Mönchengladbach from Dortmund, but a lack of playing time with his old club and no time to settle in with his new one were likely key factors in being left out of Pochettino's side.
And Reyna told ESPN that he gets it.
- WATCH: Interview with Gio Reyna, Joe Scally on Fútbol Americas (Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET)
"Yeah, I mean, I can't really be [mad] -- I guess I'm just speaking for myself," Reyna told ESPN's Herculez Gomez. "I can't be too surprised if, obviously I haven't played any games with club yet this season and I haven't played any preseason games.
"For me, I can't obviously be mad about it. Of course I want to be back in, but I only know that's only possible with playing time and performing well. So that's how it is. That's how it should be."
Reyna was part of the U.S. squad for the Nations League finals in March, but he barely featured across two games that included losses to Panama and Canada in a disastrous fourth-place finish to a competition the Americans had never lost.
He was also absent from this summer's Gold Cup team as Reyna was in Dortmund's Club World Cup squad, where he continued a recent trend of not playing for the Bundesliga side he joined in 2019.
In all competitions in 2024-25, Reyna played a total of 614 minutes and was largely used as a substitute.
"Yeah, like I said before, [moving to Gladbach] was me just getting opportunity to play again," Reyna said. "So regardless of where it was, other countries, different leagues ... I mean it was definitely one of the reasons why I wanted to come here was for sure playing time.
"Obviously, I feel like it's the time to take the next step for me. And also, of course, with the national team now too. It's obviously really important that I play wanting to come back in and, yeah, be ready for the World Cup more than anything."
With the move to Gladbach, Reyna will be hooking up with U.S. teammate Joe Scally, who's been with the team since 2021, and the pair expressed excitement about being able to continue their playing relationship at club level.
"I think, like you said, I've played with Gio for so long, so I know all his skill sets on the field," Scally said. "I think we've been missing some creativity, some physical presence in the midfield and in the attacking role. So I think he can really help us with that and just that extra step.
"He's already been at a big club, so to bring that confidence from there and the football knowledge I think could really help us."
Before finishing 10th in the Bundesliga last season, Gladbach had been as high as fourth earlier in the campaign, and Scally said the goal is a European place in the coming year -- an outcome he thinks Reyna can help them reach.
"Yeah, I mean, last year we had a goal to finish in the, like I said, European spots right in there around seven, eight, and now this year we have such a good team," Scally added. "Last year we were doing so well, sitting at fourth and fifth for most of the season, and the last couple of games just slipped away.
"I think this season we are hoping for more consistency where we can finish in those fifth, sixth, seventh spots to be in Europe. And I think that's the goal of the team and that's what we should want."
The U.S. faces South Korea on Sept. 6 and Japan on Sept. 9 in a pair of friendlies, before two more exhibitions against Ecuador and Australia in October as Pochettino and his team continues their tuneup for the World Cup next summer.