The dog days of summer are slowly coming to an end for the U.S. men's national team. Believe it or not, we're now less than three weeks away from coach Jurgen Klinsmann's next roster announcement for the two World Cup qualifiers to be played in September: an away match at tiny St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Sept. 2, followed by a home game four days later against Trinidad and Tobago in Jacksonville, Florida.
Who's in the mix for the squad? (Michael Bradley and Michael Orozco are suspended for the first match, and other players figure to be released to their clubs if the U.S. has already advanced to the final Hexagonal round of qualifying after the game against St. Vincent and the Grenadines). Here's how 11 U.S. players are faring with their club teams at the moment, and how that might impact Klinsmann's picks.
Warming up
Jozy Altidore, F, Toronto FC (MLS)
Why he's here: The 26-year-old may not have started for TFC since coming back from his latest hamstring injury four games ago, but his stoppage-time goal against the New England Revolution on Saturday was his second in as many weeks off the bench.
What this means: Coach Greg Vanney's cautious approach is smart given Altidore's history, and the big striker is slowly building up both sharpness and fitness as the MLS season enters its stretch run. If he stays healthy, the U.S. veteran could be ready to once again play a key role for his country next month.
Michael Bradley, M, Toronto FC (MLS)
Why he's here: Saturday's match against the Revs marked Bradley's first minutes since June 25, when he injured his knee against Colombia in the third-place match of the Copa America Centenario.
What this means: The unwanted break could actually help the rested Reds and U.S. captain lead TFC into the playoffs, where they (finally) look capable of making noise. A deep run by Toronto would be good news for the U.S. ahead of a potential Hexagonal match against Mexico in November.
Clint Dempsey, F, Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Why he's here: After scoring just once in seven games for Seattle following the Copa America, Dempsey exploded for three goals in Sunday's 3-1 win at Orlando City SC.
What this means: It doesn't matter that the hat trick was the easiest Dempsey will ever get; what's important is that "Deuce" got the open looks, and that he and U.S. and Sounders teammate Jordan Morris (more on him below) looked more cohesive than they had in any previous game this season.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, D, Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Why he's here: Still just 18, the U.S. under-20 and under-23 veteran played in all six of Spurs' preseason matches.
What this means: Part of the reason the English-born Carter-Vickers played -- he could still end up eleswhere on loan this season -- was because projected starting center-backs Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld were on vacation after playing for Belgium at Euro 2016. Still, it says a lot about how he is viewed by Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Julian Green, F, Bayern Munich (Germany)
Why he's here: On Tuesday, 10 days after scoring three goals in 35 minutes in an International Champions Cup match against Inter Milan, Green was named to Bayern's first-team roster for the upcoming Bundesliga season.
What this means: The news speaks well of Green, even though the 21-year-old will face stiff competition from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller for playing time up front. There's also still a chance that he is sold before the summer transfer window closes at the end of the month.
Jordan Morris, F, Seattle Sounders (MLS)
Why he's here: The rookie rebounded from a tough match against the Galaxy on July 31 by setting up Dempsey's second and third goals in Orlando.
What this means: The constant danger Morris caused the Lions was a timely reminder that the 21-year-old's international future remains bright. And while his decision-making wasn't perfect on Sunday, it was better than against LA.
Michael Orozco, D, Club Tijuana (Mexico)
Why he's here: After sitting out the first two games of the new Liga MX season, Orozco has started the Xolos' last two games, both wins.
What this means: It's no secret that the 30-year-old is a Klinsmann favorite -- he actually started the Americans' most recent game, the previously mentioned Copa match vs. Los Cafeteros -- so don't be surprised if these latest minutes help land him a roster spot next month.
Cooling down
Greg Garza, D, Club Tijuana (Mexico)
Why he's here: Garza, who turns 25 next week, started Tijuana's first two Apertura games last month but suffered a concussion in the second one and hasn't played since.
What this means: The great news here is that Garza is no longer experiencing symptoms -- he was medically cleared to train on Aug. 1 -- but with the Xolos having won two straight matches in his absence, the hard-tackling left-back might have to wait for another look from coach Miguel Herrera.
Emerson Hyndman, M, Bournemouth (England)
Why he's here: With the Premier League season set to kick off this weekend, Hyndman remains sidelined by the ankle injury he suffered early in preseason.
What this means: It's not the ideal start to his time with the Cherries, to be sure. But even if the 20-year-old can't play in his team's Premier League opener against Manchester United on Sunday, Hyndman is highly regarded by manager Eddie Howe and should get an opportunity when he's healthy.
Jermaine Jones, M, Colorado Rapids (MLS)
Why he's here: The German-American has now missed five straight games for Pablo Mastroeni's team because of a knee injury.
What this means: While Mastroeni told the Denver Post that Jones remains "day-to-day," it's hard to see the 34-year-old -- who was one of the Americans' top performers during the Copa -- starting World Cup qualifiers next month if he's not in his club's lineup soon.
Gyasi Zardes, M/F, LA Galaxy (MLS)
Why he's here: The versatile 24-year-old has missed LA's last two matches with a chest strain.
What this means: Zardes has been remarkably durable since his rookie season in 2013, appearing in 100-plus MLS games despite being a U.S. regular the last two years. This injury doesn't look likely to keep him out for long, either, as Zardes resumed light training last week and could return to action as early as Wednesday's U.S. Open Cup semifinal against FC Dallas (10 p.m. ET, ESPN2) or Saturday's league tilt vs. the Colorado Rapids.