Will Christian Pulisic be fit to face the Netherlands?
The United States men’s national team ace was taken to the hospital due to a pelvic contusion he suffered in the last game of the group stage.
Christian Pulisic appeared just when the United States men’s national team needed him the most and scored the game-winning goal against Iran in the last game of the group stage. The victory secured the USMNT second place in Group B, making them the first CONCACAF team to advance to the Round of 16 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Pulisic’s message to his teammates
The bad news for the United States was that Christian Pulisic had to be replaced before the start of the second half by Brenden Aaronson. The Chelsea man suffered a pelvic contusion injury in a clash with Iran’s goalkeeper following his sizzling 38th minute goal. The USMNT ace had returned to the pitch after receiving medical attention, but during the break he was taken to the hospital to treat the injury.
The United States medical staff will investigate the severity of the abdominal injury Pulisic suffered over the next 24 hours, but team mate Weston McKennie gave a tantalizing, though unofficial, update on his status. According to the Juventus midfielder, Pulisic will be ready for the Americans’ decisive game against the Netherlands on Saturday.
“I sent him a text and checked on him, and he said, ‘best believe I’ll be ready on Saturday,’” said McKennie after the 1-0 win over Iran on Tuesday. Official word from the USMNT is more circumspect, stating that his status is day-to-day. The United States has relied on Christian Pulisic throughout the tournament and he is leading their offensive production with one goal and one assist in three appearances during the group stage.