US Team Receives Boost with Pulisic's Return to Training
Christian Pulisic made a significant step towards recovery by joining his US teammates in training on Monday, following a calf injury that kept him out of their last World Cup match.
During the 15 minutes of practice open to the media in Orange County, Pulisic took part in warmups and ball drills, demonstrating promising signs of his progress. However, the team did not provide a formal update on the status of the AC Milan midfielder.
Pulisic was absent from the US team's 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle last Friday, having previously played the first half of their tournament-opening 4-1 win over Paraguay before being substituted at halftime due to stiffness from an injury sustained in training.
Prior to his return to full squad training, Pulisic had been limited to individual workouts, including gym sessions, resistance training, and light ball work. His return to the team was seen as an encouraging sign, especially given the team's upcoming schedule.
US teammate Alex Zendejas offered his support for Pulisic, saying "It’s a tough situation when you’re going through a small, little knock. It’s an important tournament where obviously everyone wants to be able to get out there 100%, but [we don’t] talk about the injury or talk about the moment [Pulisic] is going through. [We] talk about other stuff, try to get his mind off of it. Just be there for him."
The US team will conclude their group play on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium against Turkey, a match that holds little significance for either team. The Americans have already secured their spot in the next round, while Turkey has been eliminated from the tournament.
The US team's first knockout match is scheduled for July 1 in Santa Clara, California. However, coach Mauricio Pochettino still has concerns over the availability of his entire roster, as midfielder Cristian Roldan missed practice due to a strained muscle.
