USA pundit questions Mauricio Pochettino’s treatment of Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty

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This is a huge season for footballers across the planet because it is World Cup year, but it’s probably bigger for Celtic’s defensive pair.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty are regulars for Celtic, but the same can’t be said for their involvement with the United States men’s national soccer team (USMNT).

The United States of America, alongside Mexico and Canada, will co-host the 2026 World Cup, and if you are Carter-Vickers and Trusty, then you want to be involved more than ever before because not many players get to experience a home World Cup.

But, for the September international fixtures, once again, Carter-Vickers was snubbed by USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, with Trusty out injured.

So, where do they stand in Pochettino’s plans?

• READ MORE: Who is Cameron Carter-Vickers? Get to know Celtic’s immovable American centre-back

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty’s USMNT chances under Mauricio Pochettino

Tim Ream, who turns 38 in October and currently plays for Charlotte in the MLS, is one of many central defenders getting picked ahead of Carter-Vickers and Trusty.

This was discussed on Men in Blazers and by former USMNT player Herculez Gomez, who feels that the Celtic pair probably haven’t been handed a proper chance by Pochettino.

Gomez discussed how Carter-Vickers has ‘World Cup experience’, but in the end, that might count for nothing.

“He (CCV) has World Cup experience,” said Gomez. “But this pool, when it comes to centre-backs, I kind of feel like it’s the nine position, nobody is taking a hold of it.

“Tim Ream is 178 years old, and still playing. But you look at the pool, and there are some players, much like Aidan Morris, who haven’t had their opportunity, and Auston Trusty. He’s not getting an opportunity.

“This is why you are seeing a Tristan Blackmon at 29 or 30 years of age making his debut for the US Men’s national team.

“So, I don’t know much stock Mauricio Pochettino is going to put into, ‘he (CCV) has already been at the World Cup. He can help me out because he has the experience.’ He’s a filer, for me. He has got half of a foot in, and half of a foot out.”

How much have Carter-Vickers and Trusty featured under Pochettino?

The answer is very little, and in the case of Trusty, he has only played ten minutes and not been selected in a Pochettino squad since he arrived last September.

Carter-Vickers has featured in a few more squads, but it still doesn’t say much because he has only played 90 minutes.

Perhaps Celtic being in the Europa League will work in their favour because it will allow the champions of Scotland to compete far better, and then put them in a good light as the months tick down to world football’s biggest stage.