The U.S. men’s national team has reportedly agreed with AC Milan to not call-up Christian Pulisic for the November international break.
The American winger suffered a hamstring injury while representing the Stars and Stripes in October and has been sidelined for the last three weeks. Reports emerged that Milan were unhappy with how the USMNT handled Pulisic’s fitness in matches against Ecuador and Australia.
The Rossoneri were even thought to have went as far as to ask Mauricio Pochettino to omit Pulisic from his squad for the November window, a request that Gazzetta dello Sport claims has now reached a verdict.
The Italian outlet revealed “an agreement has already been reached” between Milan and the USMNT to keep Pulisic out of action in the final international break of the year. The 27-year-old would then be granted the proper time he needs to fully recover from injury without taking any additional risks.
Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri is optimistic Pulisic will return to action as early as next weekend, though it remains to be seen just how large of a role he will play after his extended spell on the sidelines.
Pulisic led Serie A in scoring prior to his injury, and a return to his scintillating form would be a major boost to a Milan side trailing league-leaders Napoli by just one point. The Rossoneri’s priority remains getting their best forward back healthy and fully fit in time for the Milan derby on Sunday, Nov. 23.
USMNT Struggle for Consistency Ahead of 2026 World Cup
Should Pulisic indeed miss out on the November international break, the USMNT will have to get by without their captain against Paraguay and Uruguay. The pressure will be on Mallik Tillman to perform in the ex-Chelsea man’s potential absence.
The two matches will be anything but easy, especially without Pulisic. In fact, the Stars and Stripes have not defeated La Celeste in 23 years, and now they will be tasked with securing a result without their best playmaker and arguably best finisher.
Although the two clashes are just international friendlies, every match in the lead up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is important for a USMNT team that has struggled to find consistency. Between injuries and superstar players opting out of the Gold Cup, Pochettino has yet to truly have his strongest XI all together and healthy for multiple camps in a row.
Still, the USMNT will hope to ride the momentum of its successful October window into November, all with its sights set on mounting a formidable effort on home soil in next summer’s tournament.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Makes Bold Christian Pulisic Decision for November Camp—Report.