Christian Pulisic admitted missing out on the November international window is the “best decision” for himself, the U.S. men’s national team and AC Milan as he works to return to full fitness.
The USMNT captain is one of many American superstars absent from the Stars and Stripes’ final camp of the calendar year. Pulisic had been nursing a hamstring injury ever since the October international break and only just returned for Milan last weekend.
Instead of heading straight to Philadelphia to meet up with Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, the winger stayed back in Milan to work on fully recovering from injury, leaving the USMNT without its best player for international friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.
There was ongoing speculation of a brewing feud between the USMNT and AC Milan over the Pulisic’s fitness, but 27-year-old revealed both sides were on the same page when it came to prioritizing his health.
“Speaking with the people at Milan, but also when I was leaving the national team, we had good conversations," Pulisic told Kate Scott in an exclusive interview with Paramount+ that took place before he returned to action for his club.
“I haven’t come back and played yet, so I don’t think it's right for me to fly over there and try to get my first games back with the national team when I just want to make sure I have the time now to fully care for myself and make sure that my hamstring is doing well and allow other guys to take the place.
“So I think it’s just the best decision for everyone right now,” Pulisic said.
Gio Reyna is one of the players that received a surprise call-up in place of Pulisic. Timmy Tillman also made Pochettino’s roster after Tyler Adams was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Pulisic: Trying to See Latest Injury From a ‘Positive Perspective’
Despite missing time for both Milan and the USMNT, Pulisic is not letting his hamstring injury bring down his spirits, especially when the issue only had him sidelined for a relatively short period.
“Right when it happens, it’s so frustrating,” Pulisic said. “You have all those thoughts, ‘Why now? Things were going so well at the beginning of the season.’
“It seems to happen that way but honestly I trust in God’s timing. I trust in that it’s the best thing for me and to be honest, it’s not like... it’s not the worst thing ever. I was out a couple of weeks and now I’m already back, so I’m lucky that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, so I’m trying to see it from the positive perspective.”
Pulisic was leading Serie A in scoring before his brief trip to the sidelines. The American star had eight goal contributions across all competitions before was forced into the infirmary.
Still, the good news for the Italian giants is Pulisic will be able to lead the Rossoneri against bitter rivals Inter on Sunday, Nov. 23. The Stars and Stripes, though, will have to make do without their top playmaker for now in order in order to hopefully ensure his full fitness in the buildup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Christian Pulisic Breaks Silence on Another Controversial USMNT Absence.
