A familiar face isn't included in Alexi Lalas' current top-five power rankings of U.S. men's national team players. But there is a good reason for that.
Christian Pulisic, who is expected to be a key player for the USA at this summer's World Cup, has recently been hobbled by injuries after a strong first half of the club campaign with AC Milan. So for the moment, Pulisic doesn't make the cut. But as Lalas clarifies in the latest episode of "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union," the criteria for this latest ranking is that the player needs to be seeing action on the pitch.
Why Christian Pulisic Missed Out on the Rankings
The AC Milan star has been dealing with injury issues that have limited his playing time in recent weeks. According to Lalas, the ranking methodology is simple: players must be actively playing to be considered.
"If you're hurt, it doesn't mean you're not a great player. It doesn't mean you possibly couldn't be at the top of my power rankings, but you got to be playing and doing well," Lalas explained.
Pulisic's injury setback comes at an unfortunate time, as he was enjoying an impressive first half of the season with AC Milan before the knock forced him to the sidelines. The 25-year-old winger was expected to be one of the USA's key players for the upcoming World Cup, but his current injury situation has prevented him from making the cut in Lalas' latest power rankings.
Current Top-Ranked USA Players Making Waves
Despite Pulisic's absence, several other American players are making strong cases for World Cup selection. Let's break down who made Lalas' list:
Weston McKennie tops the rankings after his impressive resurgence at Juventus this season. The midfielder has scored seven goals and provided four assists across all competitions, showcasing his versatility and influence in midfield.
"It should come as no surprise given everything that we have said about Weston McKinnie and where he is and the level that he is playing right now, his consistency, his value, he's at No. 1," Lalas said.
Brenden Aaronson has been instrumental in keeping Leeds United afloat this season. The 21-year-old midfielder has scored four goals and vastly improved his performance, earning praise from Lalas.
"I think he's just been consistent now for weeks and months. I don't think that there's anybody that's maybe changed the perception of him relative to making the World Cup team, or even being on the field, and doing well more so than Brenden Aaronson."
Malik Tillman is rounding back into form following a quiet few months with Bayer Leverkusen. After being one of the biggest transfers to the German club last summer, the young midfielder has impressed enough during last summer's World Cup to be in the mix for the USA team this summer.
Tanner Tessmann continues to have a career season in France with Lyon. The Alabama native has logged almost 2,000 minutes across all competitions and has started in Lyon's last three Ligue 1 games.
Can Christian Pulisic Work His Way Back Into the Rankings?
Despite currently being on the outside looking in, Lalas believes Pulisic has every opportunity to return to the top of the rankings once healthy.
"Certainly the second half of his season right now has been anything but what the first half was. He's hurt. So who knows, he could come back with flying colors and do wonderful things. And because of who Christian Pulisic is, I think it's easy for him to skyrocket back into my power rankings."
The door remains wide open for Pulisic to reclaim his spot among the elite American players, with the summer's World Cup serving as the ultimate stage for him to prove his worth.
