Ricardo Pepi was subbed off with an injury for PSV on Sunday, Sept. 20, putting him in doubt for four upcoming U.S. men's national team matches.
Pepi lasted just eight minutes against FC Twente before he raised his hand and fell to the turf with a suspected muscle injury. The striker walked off gingerly as he was replaced by Sven Mijnans.
The injury appears to spell the end of Pepi's hopes to participate in the upcoming international window, the USMNT's first after the 2026 World Cup.
Pepi was named to a youthful roster that includes 12 first-time call-ups as the USMNT begins the 2030 World Cup cycle.
The Texas native was the only member of the five-man forward group to have appeared for the USMNT before, with Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun
among the absentees.
The USMNT will face Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada in the newly expanded September-October FIFA window. The first of the four matches will be on Saturday, Sept. 26 against Peru in Orlando.
Pepi has scored 13 goals in 42 appearances for the USMNT. The 23-year-old appeared in all five of the team's games in the 2026 World Cup.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USMNT forward Ricardo Pepi subbed off with injury for PSV
