Playmaker Given Another Chance Despite Club Struggles
Few selections on Mauricio Pochettino's roster for this window raised more eyebrows than Giovanni Reyna's, and the 23-year-old was candid enough to acknowledge it himself.
Reyna has managed just 26 minutes of playing time for Borussia Mönchengladbach in all of 2026, failing to appear in eight consecutive league matches—first due to a muscle injury picked up in late January, then as an unused substitute in the games that followed. It is a difficult club situation that stands in stark contrast to Pochettino's typical preference for players who regularly feature at the club level.
Yet Pochettino made an exception, and Reyna was quick to express his gratitude. "I guess you could say it was sort of one of his more difficult decisions, or I guess controversial decisions to maybe bring me in," Reyna said. "I can't appreciate it enough. Love this team, love this staff, love this group of people. So just always honored to be here."
The faith isn't entirely blind. Reyna was one of the standout performers during November's international window, scoring the opener in a victory over Paraguay before adding an assist off the bench in a dominant win over Uruguay. That kind of impact in a national team shirt has clearly left an impression on Pochettino, who called Reyna a "very special player" and suggested his quality could prove useful even without consistent club minutes.
Christian Pulisic echoed that confidence. "He looks good in training," Pulisic said. "Off what he's done for this team and in big moments, he deserves to be here."
Reyna himself remains undaunted. "So if the chance comes up in the next two games, I have confidence in myself and the team that I can do some good things and make good impact," he said.
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