Christian Pulisic's Injury Still 'Evolving' Ahead of World Cup Match vs. Australia

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SEATTLE – Christian Pulisic’s status for the U.S. men’s national team’s second World Cup match vs. Australia on Friday is still unclear. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will meet with medical staff and assess the situation on Thursday night.

"He’s evolving," Pochettino told a packed room of reporters at the campus of the University of Washington on Thursday afternoon. "He’s much better from [last] Friday. We’ll see. At the moment, if he’s not available for tomorrow, will be available for the next game. But I think he’s doing a massive effort trying to be ready.

"When this type of thing happens, it’s always painful. But I think Christian is strong and [has a] great mentality, and he’s doing a fantastic effort to be ready as soon as possible."

Pulisic has not trained fully with the team all week after getting kicked in the back of the leg in the USA’s tournament opening 4-1 victory over Paraguay. His status has been listed as "day-to-day" and he participated in "modified training" which included some different drills than the rest of the squad. He was seen wearing a black compression sleeve around his left calf this week.

The U.S. and Australia are currently tied atop Group D with three points each, but the Americans have a slight advantage on goal differential.

It goes without saying that the squad would love to have Pulisic available – he’s irreplaceable and the face of the team. He arrived at the World Cup healthy and in good form, and promptly contributed to the USA’s first two goals against Paraguay. He was aggressive and threatening the entire first half before getting pulled at halftime to nurse his calf.

After the game, Pulisic told reporters, "I’m really hoping that it’s nothing." The 27-year-old winger has not spoken to the media since then, but his teammates have not seemed concerned when asked about him.

"Come on, Christian will be ready," a grinning Tyler Adams said earlier in the week. "Everyone, let’s relax."

Christian Pulisic has been battling a calf injury. (Getty Images)

Weston McKennie, who has been friends with Pulisic for years, said Thursday that Pulisic appears to be doing "great" mentally.

"Hopefully he can get in tomorrow," McKennie told reporters before training. "I know he really wants to be, and he’s doing everything that he can and the staff is doing everything that they can as well.

"He’s playing in a World Cup and he’s here on home soil," McKennie added. "His family is out here, we’re not staying at a bad hotel, so I think it’s really hard for someone’s mental game to be messed up in these types of conditions.

"And we’re a big family so we’re always there to pick someone up if they’re down and to excel them even further if they’re not. So yeah, I think he’s doing good mentally."

Sebastian Berhalter may be one of the players the USA will lean on if Christian Pulisic can't go. (Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Australia poses a physical threat and is a difficult team to break down. The teams last met in October in an exhibition game – Pochettino joked it wasn't a "friendly." There were 26 fouls, two yellow cards and the Americans came away with a 2-1 win. Pulisic exited the match in the first half following a hard foul.

If the AC Milan star can’t play on Friday, Pochettino said he has some contingency plans, though he declined to explain what those look like at the moment. Sebastian Berhalter was subbed on for Pulisic in the second half of the last match, but there are other options. Pochettino could look at Brenden Aaronson, Gio Reyna, Alejandro Zendejas, Tim Weah or maybe Christian Roldan, who has played for the MLS club Seattle Sounders since 2015 and is itching to see the field on his home turf.

"At the moment, we are evaluating all the possibilities just in case," Pochettino said. "Then we will decide when we have the confirmation [regarding Pulisic] in one or another direction tonight."