For Christian Pulisic it has been yet another long journey to recovery, missing eight Premier League matches for Chelsea in what has been a poor season for the American. Pulisic has been a on again off again starter for Chelsea, playing 16 games and having 1 goal and 1 assist.
Pulisic has only played 605 minutes for The Blues, but before his injury the World Cup veteran had started his last two games. In the UEFA Champions League, Pulisic only played in 4 games, playing as a starter in only 1 of them.
Now against Borussia Dortmund, Pulisic will be on the bench most likely against fellow USMNT teammate Gio Reyna who will also most likely be a substitute in their second leg round of 16 clash in the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea – Borussia Dortmund leg 2 preview
Chelsea will be playing at home against Dortmund who are in the lead in the series 1-0. Chelsea has had a miserable season as a whole, stuck in 10th place in the Premier League and winning 1 of their last 5.
Borussia Dortmund are tied for 1st in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, while Union Berlin and RB Leipzig are only three and seven points back in one of the most exciting races in Germany in years.
For two of the USMNT’s best players it has been seasons to forget, Pulisic has been injured more often than not and barely starting for Chelsea when fit. For Gio Reyna the fallout of ReynaGate with the USMNT continues to be a dark cloud, while at the club level after scoring three goals off the bench, the talented creative midfielder has suddenly and inexplicably not played for Dortmund in their last three league matches.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Kepa; Chalobah, Koulibaly, Fofana; James, Kovacic, Fernandez, Chilwell; Sterling, Havertz, Felix
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Meyer; Wolf, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro ; Ozcan, Can, Bellingham; Brandt, Haller, Reus