Christian Pulisic spent a third consecutive game watching from the bench during Sunday night’s draw against Juventus.
Going into the game in Turin, it felt almost certain that Pulisic would make his 2026-27 debut despite having sat out of the wins against Torino and Venezia that started the campaign.
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The American has fully recovered from the hairline fracture he suffered during the World Cup and has been training with the rest of his team-mates for some time now, but is yet to be called upon.
In his post-match press conference, head coach Ruben Amorim was asked about the decision not to play Pulisic, and his brief response was relayed by MilanNews.
“Pulisic is back from injury, I’m managing him. For now, Alpha is taking his place,” he said. It seems, therefore, that the coach continues to prefer players who are closer to 100% fitness.
He added: “Chukwueze came on and provided an assist. Moreira hadn’t played for three weeks. Rabiot played 60 minutes today. We’re still managing the minutes of some players and trying to win the match. Sometimes it’s not just the technical and tactical aspects, it’s also the physical aspect.”
Now, we must see if the next few days at Milanello gives Amorim sufficient guarantees in view of Saturday’s game against Lazio in the capital.
I like Amorims system so far but some of his personnel selections are a little baffling. Salesmakers is not an attacking mid, struggles in the final third, but would be a great upgrade over estupenian. Rabiot can play the attacking mid but would be an upgrade over musah( although he’s playing well currently ) and bring depth to the midfield. We have 6 -8 players he’s wanting to play for 2 spots at attacking mid but are very thin at wingback and midfield
Is the coach completely honest about Puli’s
condition??? The management probably is not
happy that Puli is keeping their feet to the fire
regarding Champions League Football.
Maybe Puli and his entourage have decided the
club hasn’t done enough to reach top four.
Makes Hutchinson and Pulisic on the bench is not a good idea.
Pulisic and Hutchinson are the right man for Ramos ,they can change the game every time.Ithink is a mistake .
The mystery about this situation is stupid.
Milan needs first half goals and Pulisic for the sake of his career needs to play for another team.
Amorim prefers Cisse. This hogwash about managing minutes doesn’t pass the smell test. I expect Pulisic to put in a transfer request in either January or the summer. Even with the contract extension, a 28 yo on a one year contract won’t bring you much money- 30 ml at most.
Cisse on-fire while Puli is injury prone, average form since january & wanted 8m/y for new contract, that’s why
This is the most Correct Answer….
Puli is not wanted, with no Clubs bidding for him….
1 year Left, wants a pay raise…
Alpha is on fire…
either play with alpha right now or wait until the fire turns off
I don’t think it’s a mystery at all. Amorim needs players to press high and heavy. Ramos ran 11km last night. Puli probably doesn’t have the legs him yet. Cameo? Ok, in place of whom? Cisse belongs there. RLC while limited, can drive the ball forward. Alexis didn’t offer much up front but he can help defend a lot better. Puli’s cameo will be too limiting at this point.
Give him time. Plenty of other pieces there to try to sort out.
I often feel like I’m losing my mind as a Milan fan lately. Pulisic doesn’t need to replace Cisse, he almost always played on the right. Any day of the week he plays better than RLC. He should be replacing RLC, who BTW had a grand total of 3 goals last year.
I have faith in Amorim but his faith in RLC is seriously starting to erode that faith. Wake up coach, RLC will never be more than a sub. He did nothing in the first 2 games and it could be argued that he allowed the goal yesterday. Please replace him with Pulisic or Hutchinson or anyone for that matter. The squad will get better I know, I believe in them FORZA MILAN
“Cameos” are a luxury for when you have a lead or leeway, or in friendlies. How does one get match fit without the intensity of playing time? The goals aren’t coming.
If you are a describing a team that doesn’t need Pulisic or can’t afford to play him, then he might want to consider a move. If he doesn’t have the defensive chops to play regularly in Amorim’s system then he may want to move on. It may be that Amorim wants this also.
Personally I’ve loved Milan since before Pulisic was born. But I’m also an American who sees him as a son. American born world class players don’t grow on trees. Pardon my emotional dilemma.
Smart comment
Are you serious? In place of whom? Any of them. Milan do not have a better option at that position than Pulisic. Period.
I was willing to give Amorim a chance even after how terrible he was at Man United but he’s already showing the same stupidity and stubbornness here. Trying to fit square pegs into round holes. Rabiot is not a SS or attacking mid, neither is Saleamakers or RLC. There has been zero creativity from an attacking standpoint so far this season , while our best attacking player and one of the best in all of Serie A sits on the bench. Because this idiot of a coach can’t figure out how to get him any minutes.
Anyone who thinks Saleamakers or Rabiot or RlC or Cisse are better attacking options than Pulisic is a fool. Milan as done it again. They’ve given the keys to the castle to a complete buffoon.
Pulisic should demand out by the winter.
Puli has been injured/ out of form for 6th months. He was a non factor at the wc he was supposed to be the star at. Puli is clearly not fit and definitely out of frame. I’m a puli fan but three games 2 wins and a draw in Turin is not anything to cry over. In fact Milan have made it 4 point out of two games in Turin (two notoriously difficult venues).
👍👍👍👍👍
What are you even talking about man. Pulisic actually looked very good for the U.S. in the 2 friendlies leading up and in the first match of World Cup before he was injured.
He was injured. Now he’s not. If he can’t give you minutes he shouldn’t be on the bench. If he can, then he should be playing because we don’t have anyone better.
The attack has looked toothless in all 3 games so far. We beat 2 bad teams and didn’t look particularly good in either match, then we got as lucky as you could get to draw with Juventus. Game easily could have been 3 or 4 to 1.
I think we have yet to score a goal before the 60th minute this season.
Stop making excuses like you know if Pulisic is fit or not. If a player is on the bench he is fit to play. It’s a coach’s decision and unfortunately our coach is a moron. And even worse a stubborn moron.
This is a very good point. If I remember correctly Pulisic often had the most distance covered the last two years and that was around 9 or 10 km. With Ramos running almost 12km, it seems like Puli will need to run a minimum of 10km every match not sometimes 10km. If he’s not able to do that without risking further injury, it makes sense not to play him at all. If Amorim would want to give him 20 minutes against Juve but in those 20 minutes you need him to run as much as he would have run in 45 minutes last year, then that strain could cause an injury if he’s not fit. I do think Ramos needs Pulisic to score consistently right now. Cisse can score but he doesn’t have the vision or decision making yet to help Ramos. Ramos is not one who can take 3 players on from 30 yards out and make a goal out of nothing, he needs service. Amorim knows the CAM spots need more creativity but Puli doesn’t have the legs like you say.
You guys are ridiculous. All these excuses that you are making up in your head. If a player cannot give you 20 mins he would not be on the bench at all. He’s been fit enough for 3 matches now, but somehow you know that he doesn’t have 10 minutes in his legs…
Or our coach is just a stubborn idiot, which he already proved an Man United. An Milan were so impressed by his failure that the gave him even more power here.
Here’s the problem. If you are managing him, he should be getting some runs. The Juve game was screaming for creativity. He’s certainly better than all of the options up top. But ok if you say he is not ready for that yet…then do not roster him in the 18. It’s a waste.
If you say he cannot play the system….Spurs would have bought him on the last day of the window. He had real interest from more than a few PL teams….sell him. For more money than anyone else on the squad.
Play him, or keep him off the 18. But if he is healthy enough for the 18 but you do not prefer him…then he should have been sold.
If Cardinale is insisting on Pulisic being at a club where the manager and team don’t want him, then Cardinale needs to butt out.
Exactly right. If you are managing him you would want him to get some real game time, 20 mins at least. Surely he could have come on instead of RLC against Juve. There is more going on here.
Same as some others said. There was no creativity in this game. Puli should have been brought in at the half if not starting. Both wide attacking starters were poor. Cisse and Chuck were a huge improvement. But I’d argue Puli should have been brought in as well. Why was RLC there? At this point if you can’t even give him 30 min, there is something else going on. If this happens another game then we’re all expecting a winter transfer.
Pulisic is better than RLC, Chuk, and Cisse(Cisse is scoring so he has to play) so if he’s fit then at minimum he should be getting cameos. If Amornin is managing his injury still then why is he on the bench. He would have been a massive upgrade to RLC yesterday and maybe Milan wins.
A 98% fit Pulisic is better than all the other AM on the team because he has the quickness, experience, and intelligence specific to the position. That remaining 2% comes from playing in matches. Puli is also a complete player and had a more dominant aura in defensive phases.
He would have assisted Ramos yesterday whom is definitely the pure striker we have been missing. Put Puli on the right and leave Cisse on the left – as he has earned it – but keep Chuk, Rabiot, and Saelemakers on the field. Your A team attack is now Ramos, Cisse, and Puli. Don’t mess it up.
Everyone will be needed at some point once European Competition starts.
Time for Pulisic to go. Obviously Amorim prefers Cisse over him on the left and RLC or Rabiot on the right. Let’s face it before the subs came on they were getting no service to Ramos and generating nothing in attack. If he’s in match day squad then he’s healthy enough to play. Actions speak louder than words.
Two games a week coming up so we’ll start seeing more of the other players and pulisic in the team.
And more terraciano lol. Christ how has he sneaked through undetected when rebuilding. Yep Probably makes up the roster for italians but jeezo. I reckon we’ll atleast buy another three big players in january.
This is starting to look like the last two years of Pulisic at Chelsea. No longer the favored bright prospect, beset by injuries, and too slow to recover from them.
As I posted, during that period at Chelsea, it was frustrating to see him struggle to come back from injuries. He would get some starts and just be completely underwhelming.
When he finally did recover from his injuries at Chelsea, he had some bright moments, but never got back to his early promise.
And so he gradually drifted off into becoming a bench option for Chelsea.
Yea, I suspect Milan are not going to give him the big contract he wants and he’s going to end up going to MLS, which has the money to afford what he wants.