Weston McKennie set for USMNT return | OneFootball

After months on the sidelines, Weston McKennie is back.

The Juventus midfielder was called up to Gregg Berhalter’s latest 27-player roster as the USMNT prepare for June friendlies and Nations League matches.

The American side will host Morocco on June 1 and Uruguay one June 5, before facing Grenada and El Salvador for the Concacaf tournament. The players are set to report to training camp in Cincinnati this week.

McKennie will join the USMNT for the first time since January 2022, after picking up an injury while on duty with the Serie A giants. He was initially ruled out for the season in March when sustaining two broken metatarsals during a UEFA Champions League clash.

He has since recovered, enabling the player to join teammates Christian Pulisic, Paul Arriola, and Tim Weah as the USMNT kick off the road to Qatar.

"So we're going to have a plan for him," Berhalter said of McKennie during a later media availability.

"I wouldn't be expecting him to play major minutes in these first couple of games. Hopefully we can get to a point where he can start one of the Nations League games, but that's not guaranteed. He's been doing a great job and getting back and for us, it's just great to have him back in camp and hopefully get him some playing time throughout the camp.”

Though the team will proceed with caution, McKennie’s return is huge news for the American side as they currently face an injury crisis.

Several of Berhalter’s key players remain out, with Sergino Dest, Miles Robinson, Gio Reyna, Daryl Dike and Josh Sargent headlining the list. Center-back Chris Richards remains sidelined as well, with an injury the USMNT labeled 'day to day'.

With only six months until the World Cup, Berhalter is doing what he can to assemble the perfect side.