Mauricio Pochettino, the United States national team coach, has made a decision that will please AC Milan fans and staff. Christian Pulisic, the star winger for both the US and Milan, has been released early from international duty and will return to Italy ahead of schedule.
La Gazzetta dello Sport confirm that this move comes after Pochettino’s recent comments expressing concern about Pulisic’s heavy workload at Milan, where he has been playing “every single game, every single minute.” The coach had suggested that Pulisic arrived at the national team camp somewhat fatigued and emphasized the need to protect the player.
Pochettino’s decision means Pulisic will miss the USA’s friendly match against Mexico on Tuesday, October 15. This early release allows the player to return to Milanello, Milan’s training center, well in advance of their upcoming Serie A fixture against Udinese on Saturday, October 19.
The coach clarified that this is purely a management decision aimed at collaborating with the player’s club. Importantly, Pulisic is not returning due to any injury concerns but rather to manage his fatigue levels.
Pulisic is coming off a strong performance in the USA’s 2-0 friendly victory over Panama, where he provided an assist for his Milan teammate Yunus Musah’s first international goal. This early return will give Pulisic ample time to recover and prepare for Milan’s match against Udinese, where he is expected to be in contention for a starting position.
However, Milan faces a potential setback as Samuel Chukwueze, Pulisic’s alternative in the squad, has suffered an injury while playing for Nigeria against Libya. Chukwueze is also returning to Italy for further assessment, with initial reports suggesting muscular problems.
