Christian Pulisic isn’t at his best and could be on the bench for the big clash between AC Milan and Juventus this evening. However, the medical staff will try until the very end with late tests, a report claims.
The American winger returned from the national team commitment in a less-than-optimal condition, as was first revealed last night. The starting spot for Milan’s game against Juventus is thus uncertain, with Paulo Fonseca yet to make a decision.
According to today’s edition of Corriere della Sera, as cited by MilanNews, Pulisic will undergo tests this morning to determine whether a starting spot is possible or not. If not, then it will be Samuel Chukwueze and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the attacking trident along with Rafael Leao.
Fonseca is hoping to rely on his No.11, given his importance this season, as this is also the last chance for Milan to catch the Scudetto train. Of course, with Rafael Leao in tremendous form currently, the Rossoneri could still get the win without the American.
Then again, you want your strongest players on the pitch in the big games and it remains to be seen if Pulisic will be there come 18:00.
Jamaica (probably instigated by their English coach Steve McClaren) was clearly trying to injure Pulisic in their two matches.
Pulisic was pummeled and elbowed in the abdomen and chest, body slammed, kicked repeatedly in the legs, given hip checks like this was a hockey game, and stepped on in the hands and feet.
The utterly reprehensible CONCACAF refs called only one or two of them as fouls and I don’t think anybody got a yellow card out of doing all that. (Technically, it was because Pulisic had usually gotten the ball away when he was fouled and wasn’t even carrying the ball when he got the late hits. A Jamaica player did get a second yellow and a red card in the second game for knocking over another USMNT player while he was making a break into open field.)
I’m sure he’s just one big bruise all over. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had bruised ribs or even a cracked rib or two.
Anyway, one big reason that Pulisic has been relatively durable in Serie A is that the refs have actually protected him quite a bit.
Remember that stretch last season when it seemed that every game somebody on the other team was getting red carded for fouling Pulisic? Lazio had two players sent off in one match for fouling Pulisic.
After that, the fouls against Pulisic in Serie A sort of stopped, and he’s gotten a lot more space to run and move as defenders have gotten more careful about fouling Pulisic because the refs seem to favor him and hand out yellow cards easily.
I think also that has helped a lot with his scoring.
That is one big reason why Pulisic can never and most likely will never go back to the Premier League.
The English refs seemed to hate him and never called a foul against opposing players who kicked or slammed into him.
His career will be a lot shorter if he goes back to the Premier League and I’m pretty sure he knows that.