USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso to miss Portugal game with leg injury
· Yahoo Sports
ATLANTA — U.S. men's national team midfielder Johnny Cardoso will miss Tuesday's friendly against Portugal due to a leg injury, head coach Mauricio Pochettino said.
Cardoso played the first half of Saturday's 5-2 defeat against Belgium. After the game, Pochettino said Cardoso was withdrawn in a planned substitution after experiencing some discomfort in training during the week.
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At his pre-game press conference on Monday, Pochettino said that discomfort continued after the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"He arrived from Madrid with some small issues but we care about him, and he arrived in a perfect condition to play Saturday," Pochettino said on Monday at his pre-game press conference.
"The plan was to play 45 minutes but when he finished after 45 minutes, he felt again this type of uncomfortable things in some part of his leg. Now we decide not to force [it] and send [him] back to Madrid."
Pochettino added that the injury didn't appear to be serious.
"He will be recovering as soon as possible because he's trained in the gym today," Pochettino said.
The 24-year-old will return to Spain, where he'll be suspended for Atlético's league match against Barcelona on Saturday, April 4.
Atlético will face Barcelona again just four days later in the first leg of a Champions League quarterfinal, a game in which Cardoso will aim to make his return.
Cardoso has earned 23 caps for the USMNT, but has only managed to make five international appearances since the start of 2025.
Despite continuing to fare well in La Liga with Real Betis and now Atlético, Cardoso has often failed to replicate that form with the USMNT.
The USMNT will face Portugal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Tuesday, March 31, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Johnny Cardoso injury news: USMNT midfielder out vs. Portugal