PREMIER LEAGUE
Christian Pulisic, invisible to the coaches of a Chelsea in crisis
He’s one of the stars of the United States team, but didn’t see any minutes in the Champions League tie against Real Madrid. What next?
One of the most concerning issues for the future of the United States Men’s National Team is the low level of participation of its players in elite European football. Despite having a significant number of talented players in some of the world’s top leagues, their involvement in important matches is limited, exemplified no better than by Christian Pulisic. This trend raises concerns about the development and competitiveness of the national team as we look ahead to the 2026 ‘home’ World Cup.
Since his return from an injury suffered in early January, the left winger for the USMNT has been struggling to become a key player amidst the crisis at Stamford Bridge. Despite having been absent for several weeks, he has not been able to make significant contributions to the team since getting back in early March. Furthermore, during the quarterfinals of the Champions League against Real Madrid, he was not even able to play a single minute.
Although this situation could have been anticipated for the former Borussia Dortmund star, due to the arrival of new offensive players like Mykhailo Mudryk and João Félix, the situation is still concerning. As seasons go by in the Old Continent, he has failed to make the necessary progress to become a definitive force and key player for the Blues.
Christian Pulisic recent form
The 24-year-old has recorded rather poor numbers in the last six Chelsea games, which have come after the FIFA break at the end of March that saw him play an important role with the Stars and Stripes. He only came on as a substitute in the defeats against Aston Villa (0-2), Wolverhampton (1-0) and Brighton (1-2), while he didn’t leave the bench against Liverpool (0-0) and in both games against Real Madrid (2-0, 0-2).
Pulisic and the Chelsea run in
On the way to the end of the 2022-23 campaign, Pulisic only has to compete to find minutes in the Premier League, since Chelsea have now been eliminated from all other competitions. He will hope to convince Frank Lampard that he deserves more chances as he prepares to represent the USMNT in the Final Four of the Concacaf Nations League.