Haji Wright has already sent a crystal clear message to Mauricio Pochettino

It is now just 42 days until Mauricio Pochettino will announced his United States men's national team squad for this summer's World Cup on home soil. Five days after the big reveal, his team will take on Senegal in Charlotte, followed by Germany in Chicago just under a week later, before the action gets underway for real on June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.

Pochettino and USMNT fans alike will be praying that all their key players remain injury-free between now and then, but one Poch favourite will not feature this summer. Striker Patrick Agyemang, who has scored six goals in 14 international appearances, suffered a ruptured ACL during Derby County's 2-0 win over Stoke on Easter Monday, meaning he is set for an extended spell on the sidelines. This is obviously heartbreaking for the 25-year-old who started out in College Soccer, but his misfortune does, of course, open the door for others, so could Haji Wright be the biggest beneficiary?

The 28-year-old was not called up for the March friendly defeats against Belgium and Portugal, but this was due to a groin issue. Before this, he had featured in three of the USA's previous four friendlies, including scoring both during October's victory over Australia at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. They will meet the Socceroos again in Seattle this summer, so could that enhance Wright's case?

More pertinently, he has been a key figure for Coventry City this season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions; only Žan Vipotnik has been more prolific in the EFL Championship. The Sky Blues are currently on the cusp of securing promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2001, thanks in no small part to him. So, how does his scoring exploits compare to those of other USMNT attackers?

USMNT attacking options club performance 2025/26

No European-based American attacker can better Wright's goal tally this season, level with Folarin Balogun on 17, while only Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic are also in double figures. There are obviously some caveats. Wright has played more minutes than most, behind only Balogun, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, while he is also plying his trade at a lower level.

Of course, the EFL Championship is not as difficult as Serie A, Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga, but according to Global Football Rankings, England's second-tier is actually the seventh-strongest league in the world, above MLS and the Eredivisie. Wright's versatility will also surely work in his favour. He could start as the centre-forward, up against Balogun and Ricardo Pepi for this role, or out-wide, where a spot is up for grabs, even with Pulisic a guaranteed starter on the left.

Four years ago, while still playing for Antalyaspor, Wright scored one of the best USMNT World Cup goals of all-time, on target in vain during the 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands at Khalifa International Stadium. Thus, it already appeared likely that he would be on the plane from the English East Midlands to California, given that his goalscoring exploits are impossible for Pochettino to overlook. However, if Wright is able to add to his goal tally further during Coventry's final four fixtures of the season, he might just be a World Cup starter come June.