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Christian Pulisic was left to watch helplessly from the bench as his side suffered a heavy defeat on Thursday.
The 28-year-old attacking star was an unused substitute in AC Milan's Europa League encounter with AFC Bournemouth, looking on as the 10-man Rossoneri were hammered 3–0 by the English club at Vitality Stadium.
Thursday's match was billed as a showdown between Americans—Milan's Pulisic and Yunus Musah against Bournemouth's Tyler Adams, the U.S. men's national team's newly appointed captain. Yet while Musah completed the full 90 minutes in his familiar central midfield role and Adams played a pivotal part in the Cherries' win, Pulisic never set foot on the field.
It came as little surprise that Milan boss Ruben Amorim left Pulisic out of the starting lineup. The Portuguese manager has been carefully monitoring the player's workload since the season began; however, it was somewhat unexpected that he didn't feature at all. The USMNT figurehead hasn't been an unused substitute since early September, still working his way back to full fitness following two separate injuries sustained at the 2026 World Cup this summer.
First-time European participants Bournemouth were aggressive from the opening whistle, breaking the deadlock against the seven-time European champions in the eighth minute via a penalty kick. The Cherries then doubled their advantage, thanks in part to Adams's ... face. The USMNT midfielder was being marked by Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan on a corner kick, when Maignan shoved Adams forcefully in the nose with both hands. The French shot-stopper was shown a red card, gifting Bournemouth another penalty, which they converted in the 32nd minute.
The Cherries added a third in the 84th minute from a free kick, all while limiting Milan to zero shots on target and just three attempts overall. Although Musah stood out with a 100% passing accuracy—further highlighting his qualities as a ball distributor—Milan managed just 36% possession throughout the match, leaving him with limited touches on the ball.
What Does the Future Hold for Pulisic in Milan?
Pulisic's future at the international level with the USMNT has been under scrutiny ever since his underwhelming World Cup campaign, which left him with more injuries (two) than goal contributions (one).
Now, his future at club level with Milan is equally uncertain. Can Pulisic reclaim a regular spot in Amorim's starting eleven and convince the manager that he is physically capable of handling the demands of European competition alongside Serie A duties? Or will he remain a bystander during crucial moments?
Pulisic is in desperate need of a revival this season. He closed out the 2025–26 campaign enduring a 19-game scoring drought stretching back to December 2025. His return to domestic football has also been underwhelming, with just one goal and one assist across six appearances this fall.
Milan have made an impressive start to the Serie A season, currently sitting fourth in the table after going unbeaten through their first seven matches; however, the Rossoneri will need Pulisic firing on all cylinders to sustain that momentum. Europa League action also continues, with Milan facing Ferencváros next on Nov. 5 in a match they simply cannot afford to lose.
Should Pulisic rediscover his form in Italy, he may also be able to win back the confidence of USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino back home. Pochettino is expected to announce his squad for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals early next month, ahead of two fixtures against Haiti on Nov. 14 and Nov. 17.