Injury concern for Christian Pulisic, six months out from World Cup

The fitness of Christian Pulisic might be a concern for United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

Pulisic was absent from the AC Milan squad that traveled to Bologna on Tuesday. Milan coach Max Allegri revealed that Pulisic has “bursitis that’s bothering him” and needs time to recover. Bursitis is an inflammation affecting the fluid-filled sacs around joints.

Allegri has stated that this latest fitness issue is only a minor setback for Pulisic, who has been a key player for Milan during his two-and-a-half years with the team. But Allegri had initially indicated that he was hoping that Pulisic would be fit enough to feature against Bologna. The fact that he was not suggests that his recovery has not been as smooth as hoped.

Is this Christian Pulisic’s World Cup?

Since he was a teenager, Christian Pulisic has been heralded as the future of American soccer. At the age of 16 he moved to Germany to sign for Borussia Dortmund, making his first-team debut at the age of 17.

After impressing in Dortmund he was sold to Chelsea for $73 million (£57.6 million), the largest fee ever paid for a North American player. However his time at Chelsea was beset by injuries and he never managed 30 league games in any of his four season in West London.

His move to AC Milan in 2023 allowed him to re-find his form and he has been a key contributor. He managed to steer clear of injuries in his first two seasons in Milan but has not been so lucky this year. Already this season he has suffered an ankle injury, hamstring tear and now a bout of Bursitis. Now 27 years old, this summer’s World Cup should be Pulisic’s best chance at a standout tournament performance with USMNT. He just needs to make sure that he is fit to play.

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