Arsenal's Gedion Zelalem and Tottenham's Cameron Carter-Vickers have been included in the U.S. under-20 squad that will play at the U20 World Cup in South Korea later this month.
Coach Tab Ramos on Tuesday named his 21-man squad, pulling mostly from the team that won the CONCACAF Championship in March, but adding the Premier League players and four others.
Zelalem has played on loan in the Netherlands this spring with VVV-Venlo, while Carter-Vickers has not made an appearance for Spurs since January and picked up a knee injury in April. Both played in the 2015 U20 World Cup, along with defender Erik Palmer-Brown.
Ramos said of Zelalem: "He needs to be one of our leaders, and we expressed that to him, and so he has to be one of the ones that make a difference for us.
"I would have hoped... that obviously his career at this point would be a little bit more advanced, in terms of two years ago he was already at Arsenal, he had already gotten some opportunities with the first team, and here we are two years later and we're kind of... looking at the same type of scenario.''
Philadelphia Union midfielder Derrick Jones, who was born in Ghana before moving to the U.S. at 14, was named to the team just days after being cleared by FIFA.
There were spots among the six forwards for Josh Sargent, the 17-year-old who just helped the U.S. U17s qualify for that age group's World Cup later this year, and Atlanta prospect Lagos Kunga, 18, who only joined up with the squad at an April training camp.
They're joined by Real Salt Lake's forward duo of Sebastian Saucedo and Brooks Lennon, the latter of whom is on loan from Liverpool.
U-20 #USMNT head coach Tab Ramos names 21-player squad for 2017 @FIFAcom U-20 World Cup.
�� gallery and roster: https://t.co/AsIkxpawNU pic.twitter.com/3wuxv35lzq
- U.S. Soccer YNT (@ussoccer_ynt) May 9, 2017
Jonathan Klinsmann, the son of former U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, is likely to start after winning the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper at the CONCACAF qualifiers.
Not in the team were Fiorentina foward Josh Perez, the Schalke trio of Haji Wright, Weston McKennie and Nic Taitague, Wolfsburg's McKinze Gaines and Villarreal's Mukwelle Akale.
Ramos said Perez, who made his debut for Fiorentina in November but has not played in Serie A since, has been hurt, and the coach also said Schalke did not let him consider their players.
Chrisitian Pulisic was not available with Borussia Dortmund set to play in the German cup final on May 27, and will also be needed for the senior team's World Cup qualifiers in early June.
"Some players sometimes outgrow their age group," Ramos said of Pulisic.
Ramos said some of the players could put themselves in consideration for selection by coach Bruce Arena for the Americans' 2018 World Cup squad.
"I wouldn't like to mention names because that has to be proven on the field," Ramos said. "I'm sure Bruce has the door open to every player who's capable of making a difference for the first team."
The U.S. will play Ecuador, Senegal and Saudi Arabia in Group F, beginning on May 22.
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Jonathan Klinsmann (University of California), J.T. Marcinkowski (Georgetown), Brady Scott (De Anza Force)
Defenders: Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur), Marlon Fossey (Fulham), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Aaron Herrera (University of New Mexico), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting Kansas City), Tommy Redding (Orlando City)
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls), Luca De La Torre (Fulham), Derrick Jones (Philadelphia Union), Eryk Williamson (University of Maryland), Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal)
Forwards: Jeremy Ebobisse (Portland Timbers), Lagos Kunga (Atlanta United) Brooks Lennon (Real Salt Lake), Emmanuel Sabbi (Unattached), Josh Sargent (St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri), Sebastian Saucedo (Real Salt Lake)