It turns out that Zack Steffen's absence from Manchester City's matchday squad over the weekend could have a residual effect on the U.S. men's national team.
The goalkeeper, who has started the U.S.'s last three World Cup qualifying matches, experienced back tightness that kept him from his usual role as Ederson's backup, U.S. Soccer disclosed on Tuesday. As a result, he has yet to travel to Columbus, Ohio, to join the U.S. training camp ahead of three key qualifiers, and while U.S. Soccer is calling him "day-to-day," it would seem most likely that Matt Turner will take charge as the starter once again.
Turner started the U.S.'s first five qualifiers, as Steffen missed out with a back injury and COVID-19, and he faced the three opponents the U.S. has on the docket for this coming window: El Salvador, Canada and Honduras. The U.S. did carry four goalkeepers to camp this week, with NYCFC's Sean Johnson and the Chicago Fire's Gabriel Slonina also available. Slonina, 17, is uncapped, while Johnson, the 2021 MLS Cup MVP, is more likely to be Turner's backup should Steffen be unavailable for any or all of the next three games.
