MN: Tests rule out injury for Pulisic but he will not start against Lecce

By Isak Möller -

Christian Pulisic suffered a knock during yesterday’s game against Paris Saint-Germain and was subbed off in the dying minutes of the game. Fortunately, tests have ruled out an injury for the American. 

Pulisic has a decent game against the French side, given a 6.5/10 in our ratings, but wasn’t involved in any of the goals that Milan scored. Instead, he worked very hard in the defensive phase, as was expected with Kylian Mbappe on the right flank.

In the 92nd minute, he was subbed off after suffering a knock and was replaced by Alessandro Florenzi for the final minutes. Today, as reported by MilanNews, the winger carried out an MRI scan which ruled out any muscular injuries and confirmed that it’s just a muscle contracture.

However, Pulisic is not expected to play from start against Lecce as Samuel Chukwueze has recovered, eager to showcase his qualities. The American will be assessed on a daily basis and then Stefano Pioli decide whether to call him up for the game or not.

The game against Lecce is scheduled for 15:00 on Saturday and after three games without a win in the league, another strong performance is needed.

Tags AC Milan Christian Pulisic

17 Comments

    1. I think he will soon come good up un till now he has played a combined 290 minutes which is 3.2 full matches which also equates to playing 32.2 minutes each time he is fielded and as he he has played a couple of games around a half or 60 minutes the remaining times he has played its roughly 20 minutes each time so he really hasnt had much time to prove himself when playing.
      My point here give him a full match to prove himself so he can regain his confidence and get more accustomed with the rest of the team and im pretty sure he will soon shine for us.

  1. Great news. If not ready for Lecce he should be good to go after the international break. Hopefully the knock isn’t aggravated with the national team.

      1. Those games are huge for the USA, the winner of the two-legged tie against Trinidad and Tobego qualifies to play in the Copa America, so they are actually the biggest games the US will play outside of a major tournament until after 2026!

        1. I agree, but it’s Trinidad & Tobago, not Mexico.

          I appreciate that they are the same team that denied us the World Cup, but if we can’t beat T&T, we don’t deserve to progress.

      2. Those games are huge for the USA, the winner of the two-legged tie gets into the Copa America, so they are the most important games for the USA until after 2026.

        1. Pioli needs to flat out tell Gregg Berhalter to go F**k off and that Pulisic needs to rest, otherwise he risks a major hamstring tear that will wreck his season.

          T&T is a tiny Caribbean two-island nation with 1.4 million people total. Its men’s national football team is made up mainly of players from its domestic island league and has not a single player who plays in a first division league in North America or Europe.

          The last time the USMNT played T&T was in the Gold Cup this summer, and a mostly MLS based US roster beat them 6-0, with Jesus “Pirates of the Caribbean” Feirrera scoring a hat trick (he got that nickname because he scores bunches of goals against these tiny helpless Caribbean national teams, but he’s unable to score against any real opposition).

          Seriously, if Gregg Berhalter can’t win this two-leg competition against T&T without Pulisic in the roster, he needs to be fired.
          Well, Gregg needs to be fired no matter what, but that’s another story.

          Historically, it was T&T that knocked the USMNT out of the 2018 World Cup, with a 2-1 win at home on a rain soaked mud puddle of a field on the final day of WC qualification (a 19 year old Pulisic scored the only US goal in that loss – there’s that iconic picture of him sitting on the field at the end of the match in tears). But it took an own goal by Omar (O.G.) Gonzalez to doom the USMNT, as a tie would have sent the US into the 2018 World Cup.

          1. From Milan’s perspective Pulisic should stay at home, from the USA’s perspective he needs to play, even if T&T has a worse team by your own admission they denied us a major tournament once and can do it again if we don’t respect them. Pulisic will play for the USA if healthy.

  2. Fantastic news. Milan is soooo much better when he’s on the field. Even yesterday when his early touches in each half were a bit rough, he settled in and played well. He cross before the second goal was terrific – Leao definitely should have scored on that (even though I know that’s not his forte), but fortunately we got another bite at the apple and Giroud showed him how it’s done.

  3. With all the games that Milan and USMNT require from Pulisic, it is not wonder that his injury history is starting to take its toll. As great a player as he is, the best ability is rely-ability. He needs to have his time managed better. Games off against bottom teams or coming on in the last 30 for a boost if necessary. That also means that Chuck and Romero and Musah need to take some turns on the right flank. Pioli needs to monitor the chemistry between the 2nd string wingers and some of the 2nd string strikers and look for match-ups that synergize when Pulisic is out on rest.

    1. This is such bad advice. What is a bottom team? Udinese? We see how that worked out. Also, why favor Pulisic, who is 25, over 37-year old Giroud? If Giroud, at his age, can play this many minutes, why can’t Pulisic?

      No Pulisic is an important player who must be on the pitch as much as possible. Leao plays better when he is there. Milan we are in a Scudetto race and CL run. The best players need to play for more than 30 minutes in a game!

  4. Yes, it is very good news that Pulisic was not hurt, as he is very important for the team to be successful this year. The team plays much better when he is on the pitch. Leao most.

    I think his “injuries” are psychological. I hope he shakes “them” off and stays on the pitch consistently.

  5. So glad Pulisic is not in the red. My thoughts, Poili needs to deny him national duties this time around.
    Before they aggravate his strain any further. Milan needs him now more than ever. the good old USMNT can certainly do without their star man, especially against TxT.

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