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Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged that Christian Pulisic was "a little bit sad" about missing the U.S. men's national team's second group stage match against Australia on Friday due to a calf problem, but was careful to offer an optimistic outlook on his recovery.
The standout performer in the USMNT's lively first half against Paraguay the previous week had to be substituted at halftime after a knock to his left leg worsened a pre-existing injury. Pochettino and Pulisic's fellow players downplayed the seriousness of the injury, but the fixture against the Socceroos in Seattle came too soon for the speedy attacker.
"Christian is not available," Pochettino told Fox Sports. "His evolution is really well. Today he was training in the morning in the training camp, and I think the feelings are good. Hope that, as soon as possible, he can be ready to be selected again and to be part of the team."
"Of course, [he's] a little bit sad," Pochettino added, "because he wanted to stay, he wanted to participate today, but it's still so early."
USMNT Confirmed Lineup vs. Australia
Starting XI (4-3-3): Matt Freese; Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson; Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman; Sergiño Dest, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi.
Substitutes: Matt Turner (GK), Chris Brady (GK), Auston Trusty, Joe Scally, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Gio Reyna, Sebastian Berhalter, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson, Haji Wright, Cristian Roldan, Max Arfsten, Alex Zendejas.
When Pulisic was forced off against Paraguay, Pochettino moved the adaptable Malik Tillman to the left flank and brought Sebastian Berhalter into the midfield. The Vancouver Whitecaps player remained among the substitutes for Friday's match, as did Gio Reyna—arguably the most obvious stand-in for Pulisic—with Pochettino instead opting for conventional center forward Ricardo Pepi.
The prolific PSV Eindhoven striker has generally been in direct competition with Folarin Balogun for the No. 9 role, having only started alongside his fellow forward on two prior occasions. The last time Pochettino fielded both strikers together was against New Zealand in September 2024. Fittingly, Pulisic scored the USMNT's sole goal in that match.
Pochettino's Message for Pulisic's Teammate
The excitement surrounding Pulisic is nothing new, but it reached new heights when he delivered a performance worthy of his reputation in that World Cup opener. With the USMNT's key player now sidelined, it would be easy for anxiety to creep in.
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However, Pochettino was quick to redirect attention toward the players who would take the field. "Now we need to be focused on our team, on the players that are going to play and we have ahead a very important game," he stated. "Australia is going to be really tough."
Without Pulisic, the challenge grows even greater. But fortunately, Pochettino still has other options at his disposal.