Christian Pulisic says he feels “great” after missing a World Cup match with a calf injury, and he hopes to play for the U.S. in its final group game against Turkey on Thursday night.
The AC Milan midfielder was sharp in the first half of the Americans' 4-1 win over Paraguay to open their home World Cup, but he came off at halftime after an injury from training tightened up. Pulisic said he was close to being available for the 2-0 win over Australia last Friday, but the staff kept him out to move him closer to full fitness for the matches ahead.
Pulisic trained on his own last week before the trip to Seattle and has returned to work with his teammates this week. Speaking before the U.S. session Wednesday at Great Park, he said he wanted to play some role against Turkey but would first talk with the coaches and medical staff.
“Obviously not a good chance I’ll probably go and play 90 right away after you come back and miss a game, but we’ll see,” Pulisic said.
Pochettino Weighs Pulisic Role Against Turkey
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino did not say whether Pulisic would start at SoFi Stadium. He said the decision could come down to whether the midfielder is ready from the beginning or better suited to come off the bench in the second half.
The match has no effect on the group standings for either team. The Americans are already locked into first place, while Turkey has been eliminated from knockout-round contention.
Pochettino also indicated that Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams are unlikely to start because each is carrying a yellow card. The coach said there was no need to risk another yellow that would leave any of them unavailable for the next stage.
U.S. Already Focused On Round-of-32 Match
Pulisic said he never feared the calf issue was more serious, even though he felt it during the Paraguay match and had to manage it through the first half. His target now is to get minutes before the U.S. plays its Round-of-32 match in Santa Clara, California, on July 1.
With the group already settled, Pochettino could rest starters and give reserves a chance at minutes. Richards said the team's training sessions have been intense enough that fitness and sharpness should not be a problem if changes are made.
Pulisic watched from the sideline in Seattle as the Americans beat Australia for their second straight World Cup win, their first consecutive victories in the tournament since 1930. He said the performance without him did not surprise him because of the team's depth and the way players have supported each other.