MARIETTA, Ga. -- Absence can make the heart grow fonder, and the United States losing 5-2 to Belgium without Chris Richards on the pitch was one of those moments. Growing in his own game for Crystal Palace, Richards is becoming one of the most important players for the USMNT, and his knee injury, keeping him out of the match, was shown as Mauricio Pochettino's back three was shaken up. 

How to watch United States vs. Portugal, odds

• Date: Tuesday, March 31 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- Atlanta, Georgia
• TV: TNT 
• Odds: USMNT +340; Draw +280; Portugal -140

Facing Portugal on Tuesday, it's the final chance for the USMNT to end things on a high note ahead of a World Cup squad being named in May, and the return of Richards will play an important role in doing that. Erasing worries about if he'll be available, Richards has declared himself fit to face Portugal in what will be another tough test.

"I'm fine. I had a bad tackle in my last game with Palace. I'm available for tomorrow," Richards said Monday.

With the Palace man in the XI, Pochettino will be able to continue to treat these as World Cup matches; being able to get what could be the first-choice defense on the pitch will be critical. Sergino Dest is out with an injury, but even if he's available for the World Cup, with Tim Weah at wing back, Pochettino will have good problems on his hands as he tries to figure out what his starting XI is for when the group stage kicks off on June 12 against Paraguay.

Johnny Cardoso did what he could to raise his stock in making that XI, thanks to a strong first half against Belgium, but he won't be available to face Portugal and is returning to Atletico Madrid early to receive treatment and recover.

"He arrived from Madrid with some small issues," Pochettino said. "The plan was to play 45 minutes, but after playing for 45 minutes, he felt something in his leg, and we decided there was no need to force, so we sent him back to Madrid. The good thing is he's not playing this weekend because he's banned, which will give him time to recover."

Pochettino would like to see more of Cardoso, but in his absence, it could be a chance to see Weston McKennie in a different role while also rotating defensive midfielders. McKennie was used as a dual 10, facing Belgium, and was excellent, scoring a goal, but Pochettino appreciates his versatility, which could be on display facing Portugal if McKennie moves further back to accommodate Gio Reyna coming into the XI as the last chance saloon continues to be open for members of the squad.

Aidan Morris is someone who has something to gain from that, too, with the void from the absence of Tyler Adams still being felt in midfield. Tracking Bruno Fernandes is a tall task, but if someone is able to do that, they could book a ticket to the World Cup, which is looming on everyone's mind. 

In attack, Pochettino understands the pressure that Christian Pulisic is feeling after not having scored in 2026, and he did admit that he may play the Milan man further forward than usual in order to help him end this goal drought. A confident Pulisic is what's best for everyone, and he hasn't scored for the USMNT since 2024 and hasn't scored for Milan since 2025. The frustration is building, which is understandable, and one goal could help him get back to his best, which is needed if the USMNT will make a deep run at the World Cup.

It's a bit of a balance between tinkering to get players in their best positions and also ensuring that he's building a team who are trying to win games. Richards coming back helps due to a stronger defense that can press than the one against Belgium, but facing Portugal will be a tall task, no matter what XI it is that Pochettino will put out there.

But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't predict one, so here's how I think the Argentine will set up his squad on Tuesday:

Predicted XI

Projected XI: Matt Freese, Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Folarin Balogun