Christian Pulisic was aiming to recover in time for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s second World Cup match, but unfortunately, a week wasn’t sufficient for him to heal.
The national team, having dealt with Pulisic’s calf injury sustained during the opening match, will not see him on the field against Australia. This news was shared by manager Mauricio Pochettino during FOX Sports’ pre-match coverage.
Pulisic had assisted in the victory against Paraguay but was taken off the field at halftime due to the injury. Pochettino was frequently asked about the player’s condition on Friday and mostly remained tight-lipped, which wasn’t particularly surprising.
On Thursday, he mentioned that Pulisic was “much better” than before and was expected to return at least for the final group stage match against Turkey next week.
While Pochettino indicated that he and Pulisic would meet later that night, it appears that meeting might not occur as anticipated. Pochettino also noted that Pulisic is “working hard to be ready” and recognizes that the American star desires to join his teammates on the pitch.
In practice on Thursday, Pulisic participated in a modified session and did not train with the team during media availability, which has been a common sight throughout the week.
With Pulisic sidelined, Sebastian Berhalter stepped in at halftime in the opening game, while midfielder Malik Tillman already had a standout performance in Pulisic’s absence.
Australia won against Turkiye in their first match, which means the upcoming game between the two teams will determine who leads Group D. A victory would mark the first time since the inaugural World Cup that the U.S. has achieved back-to-back wins in tournaments, allowing them to progress to the final round.
However, without Pulisic, the task ahead just got a bit more challenging.
