Johnny Cardoso’s latest injury puts USMNT return in jeopardy

A thigh injury could further delay the midfielder's return to the USMNT…

By Matthew Badger · The American Pitch

Published: Friday, 23 October 2026 at 5:02 PM

Key Things to Know

Johnny Cardoso suffered a thigh injury with Atlético Madrid, putting his upcoming USMNT return in doubt.
Atlético Madrid confirmed the low-grade injury will sideline the midfielder for one to two weeks.
Cardoso previously missed the World Cup with an ankle injury and was omitted from the October USMNT squad.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Atlético Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso has suffered a low-grade thigh injury that will sideline him for one to two weeks. The injury occurred after he came off the bench during a 1-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday. This latest setback puts Cardoso's potential return to the USMNT squad for the upcoming November international window in question.

Cardoso previously missed the World Cup due to an ankle problem and was absent from manager Mauricio Pochettino's October squad. If he is unavailable or left out for the Nations League quarterfinals, options to fill the midfield alongside Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman include Weston McKennie, Sebastian Berhalter, and Gio Reyna.

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Johnny Cardoso’s latest injury puts USMNT return in jeopardy

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