U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter addressed Gio Reyna’s lack of minutes on loan with Premier League side Nottingham Forest and Reyna’s potential role with the U.S. during the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals on March 21.
“We know Gio is a creative player. We know he’s a great player for the final pass,” Berhalter told The Athletic on Tuesday. “And you know, we have to see what he can do in terms of workload, how long he could last in the field because he hasn’t been playing, but we also see other options as well.”
Reyna is currently with the Premier League side on loan from Borussia Dortmund. The 21-year-old has played just 39 minutes in five appearances for Forest, as the club currently sits 17th in the Premier League table. Reyna sought a loan move away from Dortmund after making just 13 appearances in all competitions in the first half of the season, with just one start among them and an average of just over 23 minutes per appearance.
Berhalter said that the U.S. has “quality players in that position,” mentioning Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and Luca De La Torre among the options in midfield.
“For us, it’s trying to figure out exactly what we need in (each) game,” said Berhalter. “But knowing that we have a lot of options to choose from. We’re trying to figure out how we’re going to beat the teams that we’re playing against, what we need on the field to beat the team that we’re going to play against and then who can do that.”
Tyler Adams ‘potentially’ in line for a return
Berhalter also said that U.S. midfielder and captain Tyler Adams could return to the national team for the Nations League semifinal vs. Jamaica on March 21, though much will depend on how he recovers from the hamstring injury that has kept him on the sideline for much of the past season.
“Copa America I think is something that is more realistic, but I wouldn’t rule out Nations League because (Adams) is training with his team now,” Berhalter said. “He’s back to training. So there’s possibilities.”
Adams had hamstring surgery in October shortly after completing a move from Leeds United to Bournemouth. The original timetable for his return was late February or mid March. The 24-year-old has not played since September 27, and has not played for the U.S. since the 2022 World Cup.
Asked if Adams could be called up simply to reunite with the squad, Berhalter said “Yes, potentially.”
(Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
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