SEATTLE — U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino shared on Thursday that star forward Christian Pulisic is showing significant improvement regarding his left calf injury. However, he will undergo evaluation by the medical team later today to determine his availability for the upcoming match against Australia on Friday.
During his pre-match press conference, Pochettino mentioned that while Pulisic may not fully recover in time for Friday’s game, he is making every effort to be fit.
“Tonight or the day before the game, we will have a meeting with our medical staff to assess the entire group of players, and tomorrow we will communicate and review our options,” said Pochettino. “He is progressing well and has improved since Friday. If he isn’t ready for tomorrow, I believe he will be available for the next match.”
“He is putting in a tremendous effort to be ready. For every player who loves their country, this is an incredible opportunity to contribute and help the team succeed. Situations like this can be painful, but Christian is strong, has a great mentality, and is working hard to return as soon as possible.”
If Pulisic is unable to play, Pochettino may choose from players like Brenden Aaronson, Giovanni Reyna, Timothy Weah, and Alejandro Zendejas as his replacement.
“We are considering all options just in case and will make a decision once we have confirmation tonight,” Pochettino remarked.
With just over 24 hours until the U.S. faces Australia in World Cup Group D action, Pulisic arrived at practice on Thursday with a wrap around his injured calf, participating in a pre-warmup huddle with the support of performance and medical staff before heading to the gym instead of training with his teammates.
Pulisic sustained the calf injury during training last week and had to leave at halftime of the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup-opening victory against Paraguay after aggravating the issue. He managed to do some fieldwork on Wednesday, a sign of progress, but it remained unclear whether he continued to improve on Thursday.
Teammate Weston McKennie expressed uncertainty regarding Pulisic’s status but remained hopeful about his potential participation.
“I just try to keep the energy up, you know? I’m hoping he can be there tomorrow,” McKennie told reporters before Thursday’s training session. “I know he really wants to play and is doing everything possible, and the staff is too.”