USMNT preparing to play without Christian Pulisic
· Yahoo Sports
Last, the United States Men’s National Team opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a bang, blasting Paraguay by a final score of 4-1. However, there was one point of concern as USMNT superstar Christian Pulisic was injured and removed from the game at halftime.
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At the time, it seemed like Pulisic’s injury was nothing serious and would not keep him sidelined for long. But as the team prepares for its second match of the tournament against Australia, he still has not fully returned to practice and it sounds like they are preparing to play without him.
Pulisic Suffered Injury
After the United States took a 3-0 lead into halftime against Paraguay, head coach Maurico Pochettino removed Pulisic from the lineup sparking concern from fans about a potential injury.
After the game, both Pochettino and Pulisic eased those concerns as they seemed to indicate that while it was indeed an injury, it was nothing serious.
“I’m really hoping that it’s nothing,” Pulisic said after the game. “Taking a little bit of precaution tonight but I’m hoping I’ll be fine in the next few days.
“I’ve had similar things before. I’m staying positive. I don’t think it’s anything.”
Pochettino said something similar, as he revealed that Pulisic first “received a kick, a knock” two days earlier during a training session. At halftime, Pulisic “got cold” and “felt it more,” according to Pochettino who called his removal from the game a “last-minute change.”
“Now I think it’s better and hope for the next game he will be available,” Pochettino added.
Still Not Ready
A week later and just a day before the team’s showdown with Australia, Pulisic has still not returned to the practice field.
During a press conference on Friday, Pochettino said that while Pulisic is “much better,” he’s obviously still not fully healthy. The USMNT coach admitted that the team might have to play without him.
“I think tonight, or the day before the game, we have a meeting with our medical area and we will assess the whole group, the players, and tomorrow we will communicate and see all the things that [we] can agree [on] tonight,” Pochettino said via ESPN. “He’s evolving. He’s much better from Friday. We’ll see. I think at the moment, if we see he’s not available for tomorrow, he will be available for the next game.
“I think he’s doing a massive effort trying to be ready. I think for every single player that love their country it’s an amazing opportunity to know, to enjoy and to help the team to perform and to win games. When this type of thing happens, always is painful, but I think Christian is strong and with great mentality and is doing a fantastic effort to try to be ready as soon as possible.”
Preparing to Play Without Him
With Pulisic’s status in doubt, Pochettino is preparing for alternative lineups for Friday afternoon’s showdown with Australia.
“We are evaluating all the possibilities, just in case, and then we will decide when we have the confirmation in one or another direction tonight,” Pochettino said.
If Pulisic cannot go, his replacements will likely include Brenden Aaronson, Giovanni Reyna, Timothy Weah and Alejandro Zendejas. But USMNT fans likely won’t know his status until just before the game.
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