Pochettino explains Aaronson wedding leave before USA’s World Cup warm-up | OneFootball

Mauricio Pochettino has defended letting Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson miss a USA training session to marry ahead of the World Cup.

The midfielder is in the 26-man squad, with the team assembling in Atlanta for final preparations and two friendlies. He was excused last Friday to travel to Medford for his wedding, returned the next day and was an unused substitute against Senegal in North Carolina.

The USA complete their build-up on Saturday evening against Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago.

"The human being is always at the front of my mind." The comments were carried by the Miami Herald.

"Players need to plan their lives, and the decision [to get married in late May] was made more than two years ago, before I took charge. At the time, FIFA didn't allow a national team to play a warm-up game before 1 June, and that was why they planned [the wedding]."

"I wanted to allow Brenden to go. I know the type of professional player he is."

"But today's society has evolved. Now we think about these things in more human terms than in the past. We were all happy. I am happy. He's happy. His wife is happy."

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk