Mauricio Pochettino said Thursday that Christian Pulisic is questionable for Friday’s World Cup match against Australia, leaving the U.S. unsure whether it can count on its most dangerous attacker on match day.
The decision will not come until after Pochettino and his assistant coaches meet with the U.S. performance staff Thursday night, a late check that makes the injury update matter now rather than later. Pulisic, 27, has spent the week away from the main group and has been limited to modified work while the staff weighs whether his left calf is ready for the next step.
That caution has been visible all week. Pulisic trained separately from teammates on Monday, working on a far field and in a makeshift gym. He then completed two modified sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, when he wore a black compression sleeve over his left calf. By Wednesday, a team spokesman said he remained day-to-day.
The concern began two days before last Friday’s opener against Paraguay, when Pulisic took a kick in his leg during a training session. He then played 45 minutes in the United States’ 3-0 win before coming off at halftime. Pochettino said Pulisic could not walk at the break, though both men made clear the substitution was precautionary. Sebastian Berhalter came on for the second half.
Pochettino said Pulisic is “evolving” and “much better than” he was after last Friday’s match, but he would not yet say the winger is clear for Australia. He added that Pulisic has been making “a massive effort” to be ready and said, “We will see.” The coach also said, “If he is not available for tomorrow, he will be available for the next game,” a reminder that the staff is looking beyond one night even as Friday approaches.
The gap is simple: the U.S. entered the tournament expecting Pulisic to be healthy and central to its attack, but the calf issue has turned him into a late decision. Tyler Adams tried to cool the concern on Monday, and Weston McKennie sounded less certain on Thursday. What matters now is the meeting that follows, because that is when the U.S. will decide whether Pulisic is fit enough to play or needs one more step before he returns.
