Christian Pulisic Injury Update: Will He Play Against Australia?
The U.S. men’s national team held practice in Irvine, California, on Wednesday before traveling to Seattle for their World Cup match against Australia on Friday afternoon. Christian Pulisic remains uncertain for the game, with his condition described as "day to day." The star attacker has mostly trained separately from the full squad this week.
A U.S. Soccer spokesperson mentioned that Pulisic was undergoing a "modified training session" while gradually working back to full fitness. This contrasts with the rest of the group preparing fully for the upcoming match.
Origin of the Injury
Pulisic’s injury began during the opening game against Paraguay when he took a kick aggravating a pre-existing left calf issue. Coach Mauricio Pochettino took him off at halftime as a precaution, bringing on Sebastian Berhalter in his place.
Concerns rose since Pulisic hadn’t joined full training sessions within 72 hours of the game. Despite this, teammates like Tyler Adams tried to ease worries by noting Pulisic had suffered another knock before and during the Paraguay match.
“Christian will be ready, everyone. Let’s relax,” Adams said. “I think he picked up a knock a few days before the match and got kicked in the same spot again during the match.”
Pulisic himself told FOX Sports after the Paraguay game that he just took "a bit of a kick in the first half" and hoped it would not be serious. He added he was taking precautions and aimed to recover in the next few days.
Details on the Injury
Christian Pulisic is dealing with a left calf problem, though U.S. Soccer has not revealed much about its severity beyond confirming it was an ongoing issue. His history includes various injuries, including 56 days sidelined last season with AC Milan due to different ailments.
This season, he recently missed eight days with strains in his thigh and gluteal muscles. Earlier, bursitis in his hip kept him out for 17 days. Soft-tissue injuries have been a recurring theme throughout his career.
On Monday, Pochettino noted Pulisic was "good" briefly before leaving training early. Forward Tim Weah expressed optimism on Tuesday, saying, “I think he’ll be ready for the game and ready to be with the team, so just praying to God he feels 100% fit. He’ll be needed.”
When Could Pulisic Return?
Pulisic played only the first half of the opening match. There is no confirmed timetable for his recovery, but he might still start on Friday. Final confirmation awaits the coach’s press briefing on Thursday before the Australia clash.
On Wednesday, Pulisic trained alone with two trainers while the other players practiced as a group. Reports from The Athletic say he performed single-leg jumps during a brief media viewing, then returned to the gym afterward.
If he can’t feature against Australia, the next chance for Pulisic to play could be the Group D finale versus Türkiye on June 28 at SoFi Stadium, where the USMNT began their tournament.
