It was supposed to be a calm international break for Milan, but instead it turned into another frustrating chapter in the ongoing club-versus-country saga. The Italian giant has been left deeply irritated after Christian Pulisic, the team’s top scorer this season, returned from international duty with the United States Men’s National Team injured — and head coach Mauricio Pochettino is at the center of the storm.
According to various Italian outlets, including La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica, Milan had released Pulisic to the USMNT in good physical condition, only to see him return with a fresh hamstring injury. The club’s frustration stems from the belief that Pochettino unnecessarily risked one of their most important players in a meaningless friendly against Australia, despite knowing he had been struggling with ankle discomfort for weeks.
Pulisic had missed the Rossoneri’s league fixtures against Lecce and Bologna earlier this season with the same ankle issue, and was clearly not operating at 100%. Even Pochettino admitted before the international window that the winger “wasn’t at his best” but said they were “hoping to have him available.” Milan took that as reassurance that he would be managed carefully — instead, he started and lasted just 31 minutes before limping off.
The player’s injury occurred during the first half of the friendly in Colorado. The American star, already managing pain in his ankle, was tackled hard twice and tried to continue playing. But after one final sprint, he dropped to the ground and requested a substitution. It was later confirmed he had suffered a hamstring issue, which now threatens to sideline him for at least three to four weeks.
La Repubblica reported that “Milan feel Pulisic was unnecessarily risked by the national team staff for a game that held no competitive value.” The United States is already qualified for the 2026 World Cup as hosts, and Milan’s medical staff believe the 27-year-old should never have started that match. What frustrates the Italian team even more is the timing: Pulisic had been showing signs of fatigue and had only featured for 15 minutes in the earlier friendly against Ecuador, which made his starting role against Australia even harder to justify.
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Sidelined at his peak
Before the injury, Christian Pulisic had been in sensational form, leading Milan’s Serie A campaign with six goals and two assists. The American was also tied as the league’s top scorer alongside Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini, cementing his position as Milan’s most decisive player in front of goal.
Losing him now is a huge blow for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, which is sitting third on the table, just two points behind leader Napoli. The club’s medical team confirmed that Pulisic will certainly miss the upcoming match against Fiorentina, and possibly several others, depending on the results of his scans.
Christian Pulisic of AC Milan celebrates after scoring to give the side a 3-0 lead during the Coppa Italia.
When will Pulisic’s injury diagnosis be revealed?
However, there’s an additional twist: Milan will have to wait longer than expected to receive the official diagnosis of Pulisic’s injury. The reason? The American’s flight from Colorado to Italy was unexpectedly delayed, meaning he only arrived in Italy late Thursday night. As a result, his scheduled medical tests at Milanello were postponed until Friday.
Until those tests are completed, the full extent of his hamstring injury remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that Milan’s patience with the USMNT and Pochettino’s handling of the player has worn thin.
