Five USMNT Players Who Could Replace Ricardo Pepi for Concacaf Nations League in March | OneFootball

Ricardo Pepi is out, and suddenly, the U.S. men’s national team has even more questions heading into the Concacaf Nations League semifinals and final in March.

Facing Panama in the semifinals and hoping to meet either of Canada or Mexico in the final, manager Mauricio Pochettino will have his hands full in his first tournament-like challenge, having to find a replacement for the 22-year-old.

Pepi started for PSV Eindhoven in a 3–2 victory over Liverpool in the final UEFA Champions League league phase but was substituted in the 76th minute to receive treatment. While initial reports said he'd be out for one to three months, Pepi confirmed on his Instagram that he is done for the European season.

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Through the 2024–25 club season, Pepi has been the most consistent American forward, scoring 17 goals in all competitions this season. Now, they must go forward without him and Folarin Balogun, who remains injured with AS Monaco.

Who could step up for injury–riddled Americans?

Josh Sargent, Norwich City

Josh Sargent's international career has been riddled with injuries. / Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

Josh Sargent recently recovered from injury, but he could be good to go for the USMNT in March. After undergoing groin surgery, Sargent returned for Norwich City and netted two goals in a 5–1 win over Swansea on Jan. 25, his first goals since the fall.

Through 27 appearances with the USMNT, Sargent has five goals and an assist, but due to injuries, hasn’t hit the back of the net since November 2019 in a 4–0 Nations League win over Cuba.

Since returning, he’s put eight shots on target, with three goals in his last two league matches to bring him up to seven goals and five assists in just 17 games played this season.

Fitting into Pochettino’s system won’t be surefire, but he’s the top choice for the USMNT should Pepi be unable to return.

Haji Wright, Coventry City

Haji Wright's return from injury has been slower than expected for Coventry City. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Still making his way back from an ankle injury, Coventry City’s Haji Wright could be in contention to get some minutes in Pepi’s spot in his hometown of Los Angeles.

While he hasn’t played since a 2–2 draw at Sunderland in November, a game where he scored to kickstart the comeback, a return for the USMNT could be in the cards.

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard previously stated that Wright could return within the next few matches, having returned to training on Jan. 3. However, he has since gone on record as saying the process is taking longer than expected.

“I wouldn’t call it a setback. It’s probably taken a bit longer. It was a difficult injury, Haji’s injury, a difficult ankle injury,” he said. “So as much as you try to estimate how long these things take, you’re always waiting for that moment of the last bit to get on the pitch, those little steps along the way. So, I wouldn’t call it a setback; it’s just a little bit slower than any of us want."

Wright has seven goals and assists in 17 matches this season. He last played for the USMNT against Mexico in an international friendly on Oct. 16. The last of his four international goals came the game prior, a 2–0 friendly win over Panama.

Patrick Agyemang, Charlotte FC

Patrick Agyemang is a fun player, and he stood out like nobody else in the USMNT’s MLS-heavy January camp.

The 24-year-old, who established himself as a star with Charlotte FC in 2024, scored in both friendly matches against Venezuela and Costa Rica. However, his development still has a long way to go. While his 10 goals and five assists for Charlotte in '24 stand out, he’s bound for a breakout season alongside Wilfried Zaha in the Queen City this season.

Could he be the solution? It's possible, if he gets off to a good start in MLS.

Brandon Vázquez, Austin FC

Brandon Vazquez is back in MLS with Austin FC in 2025. / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another MLS option could be  Austin FC’s Brandon Vázquez, who recently moved back to MLS from Liga MX, joining Los Verdes for a reported $10 million from CF Monterrey after a few seasons with FC Cincinnati.

With 10 goals in 40 appearances in Liga MX, moving back to MLS might not have been the dream move for the 26-year-old. Yet, he’s reportedly on a much larger salary now and will be the main attacker for Austin this season.

He could be the right move if he can hit the form he had as a tenacious, outright No. 9 with Cincy. Through 11 USMNT caps, he’s scored four times, last scoring against Canada at the 2023 Gold Cup, where he found the back of the net three times.

Brian White, Vancouver Whitecaps

Brian White has proven to be a tenacious goalscorer in MLS. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Brian White could be an enticing and proven option against a Concacaf foe like Panama. The 29-year-old is a proven scorer in MLS, with 71 goals in 196 appearances with the New York Red Bulls and Vancouver Whitecaps. He has showcased his ability with Ryan Gauld, a game-changing midfielder in Vancouver who is not entirely dissimilar to Christian Pulisic.

Playing an internationally inexperienced MLS striker up top would be a bold choice for Pochettino. Still, given the injury status of his other attackers, it might be the route he takes.