Christian Pulisic optimistic about recovery and hopes for minutes against Turkey at the 2026 World Cup

Christian Pulisic has expressed his optimism about his recovery after a calf injury that kept him out of the United States' second group match at the 2026 World Cup. The dribbler, who plays for AC Milan, indicates that he is ready to play a significant role against Turkey on Thursday, the third and final group match.

Pulisic played a strong first half in the opening match against Paraguay, contributing with his energy to the big 4-1 victory. However, he was substituted at half time due to complaints in his calf, which had been sustained during a training session. "I felt a little bit tense (against Paraguay), but I was able to complete the first act well. Then I trained individually for a week on my own initiative so that I could be fully recovered for the coming matches," said Pulisic.

The meeting with Turkey no longer affects the group standings: the United States is already assured of a group win and Turkey has already been eliminated from the knockout phase. National coach Mauricio Pochettino has not yet announced whether Pulisic will return to the starting line-up immediately. The international himself has ruled out a starting place, but he hopes to at least get minutes to gain competition rhythm towards the round of 16, which is scheduled for July 1 in Santa Clara.


There is a good chance that Pochettino will spare some strong players. Central defender Chris Richards sees this as an ideal opportunity for other players to show themselves. "Our training is intense and the boys are physically fine. Everyone stays sharp, so I'm not worried in that regard," Richards said. Pulisic, meanwhile, enjoyed the 2-0 win over Australia as a spectator, where the team won convincingly even without him and thus qualified for two consecutive victories at the World Cup for the first time since 1930.

Pulisic is full of praise for the breadth of the American selection: "The team is strong and I don't have to do everything alone. This team is close-knit, everyone works hard for each other. That makes it fun to watch when you're not there."

The expectation is that the United States can look forward to the knockout phase with confidence, possibly with Pulisic on the field again.

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