Christian Pulisic has been one of the biggest storylines ahead of the United States’ final Group D match with Turkiye in Los Angeles. The USMNT star suffered a calf injury during the tournament opener against Paraguay and was substituted at halftime.
As a consequence, he also missed the second group-stage match against Australia as Mauricio Pochettino and the medical staff chose not to risk aggravating the injury.
With the United States already qualified for the Round of 32 and guaranteed to finish first in Group D, the coaching staff once again has no reason to rush Pulisic back into action. A win, tie or loss won’t change much for the USMNT today.
Is Christian Pulisic playing against Turkiye?
Christian Pulisic is not starting against Turkiye. After missing the match against Australia because of his calf injury, the USMNT takes a cautious approach with the captain. Since the USA have already secured both qualification to the Round of 32 and first place in Group D, there is no competitive urgency to risk Pulisic before the knockout stage. Those in attendance for USA vs Turkiye will miss him, but the decision makes sense.
Why isn’t Christian Pulisic starting vs Turkiye?
It’s Mauricio Pochettino’s decision. Rather than rushing him back into the starting lineup, the USA are focused on having the captain available for the Round of 32.
Could Pulisic play against Turkiye?
Pulisic will be on the bench though, so he can still play some minutes against Turkiye as a substitute. The USA’s FIFA ranking is already strong and the team is capable of going through this match without its biggest star.
Will Pulisic be ready for the Round of 32?
That is the expectation. Everything suggests the United States are managing Pulisic’s workload with the knockout stage in mind. If his recovery continues as planned, the USMNT captain should be available when the United States begin their Round of 32 campaign, where every match becomes win-or-go-home.
