Christian Pulisic's Injury Status: Will He Feature Against Australia?
The U.S. men’s national team held a training session in Irvine, California, on Wednesday before heading to Seattle for their next World Cup match against Australia on Friday afternoon. Christian Pulisic remains uncertain for this game, with his status described as "day to day." He has not joined full team practices this week, instead undergoing a "modified training session," according to a U.S. Soccer spokesperson.
Pulisic’s injury dates back to the opening match against Paraguay. He suffered a kick that aggravated an existing left calf issue. Manager Mauricio Pochettino took him off at halftime as a precaution and brought on Sebastian Berhalter in his place. Despite missing several group sessions, some teammates, including Tyler Adams, have tried to ease concerns.
“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.”
After the 4–1 victory over Paraguay, Pulisic told FOX Sports he had "just got a bit of a kick in the first half," hoping it was nothing serious and that the extra caution would allow him to recover soon.
Details on Pulisic’s Injury
The current problem involves his left calf. U.S. Soccer has confirmed this is an old injury but has not shared further specifics. Pulisic has faced a string of physical setbacks throughout his career. Last season at AC Milan, he missed 56 days due to various issues. This year, he was sidelined for eight days with a thigh and glute strain and 17 days because of hip bursitis. Soft-tissue problems have been a recurring theme for the 27-year-old.
During training on Monday, Pochettino mentioned Pulisic appeared "good" briefly before leaving the session. On Tuesday, teammate Tim Weah expressed hope: "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 only played the first 45 minutes against Paraguay. There is no official timeline for his return yet. The chance remains that he could start on Friday, but confirmation will likely come after Pochettino’s next press conference on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Pulisic worked individually with two trainers while the rest of the squad trained together. Reports from The Athletic describe him performing single-leg jumps before returning to the gym after media access ended.
If he cannot suit up against Australia, the earliest he might play again is the final Group D game against Türkiye on June 28 at SoFi Stadium, where the USMNT began their World Cup campaign.
