Giovanni Reyna says that he is "pretty positive" he will be back from injury before the next round of U.S. national team fixtures, with the Borussia Dortmund star keen to help confirm qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
The 19-year-old was forced off on his first start for six months last weekend for the Black and Yellow, raising fears that he could be set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines with a hamstring issue.
But now the attacking midfielder has sought to calm fears, saying he could be fit to feature for coach Gregg Berhalter's side in their trio of World Cup qualifiers at the end of March.
What has been said?
"I'm going to speak with people here and speak with obviously Gregg and the people from the national team too," Reyna said in a roundtable discussion.
"But I don't really have too many worries that I won't be able to go to the national team. I'm pretty positive I'll be able to go to that. I really want to go to that.
Next Match
"I haven't been with them for a long time and it's three really important games now so I'll really give everything and I'll make sure I'm there."
Reyna weighs in on ex-Dortmund stars
Elsewhere, Reyna was pressed on how former Black and Yellow players Christian Pulisic and Jadon Sancho have adapted to life in the Premier League, with the pair having previously left the Bundesliga fo Chelsea and Manchester United respectively.
The teenager expects both will continue to thrive, adding: "I see Christian much more often now just through the national team, and have a really good relationship with him. In terms of Jadon, I think, obviously, it's a different league.
"It's moving back home so I think it's just a lot of different things for him to get used to. As you can see now in the last few months, the last games he's played amazing, and I'm sure we haven't even seen the best of him yet either. I'm sure he's going to keep on developing."
The bigger picture
Having failed to secure a place at Russia 2018 four years ago, the USMNT's destiny to reach Qatar remains firmly in their own hands for the moment - but their path is still not an assured one.
They sit second in the CONCACAF standings, four points off leaders Canada and four ahead of fourth-place Panama, who currently occupy the lone playoff spot, with the top three automatically qualifying for the end-of-year tournament.
A clash with Los Canaleros comes sandwiched between games with Mexico and Costa Rica, representing crucial games to ensure an easy passage to the Middle East.
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