After almost a month’s break, the USMNT is back in action, kicking off their October window with a clash against Ecuador at the Q2 Stadium in Texas. This fixture marks one of those crucial post-September encounters where no-nonsense experimentation takes a backseat, and the main squad gets the nod. But even after that, everyone is caught off guard by the absence of Christian Pulisic from the lineup. Given his current form, it was only natural for Mauricio Pochettino to step in and clarify the situation surrounding his star forward.

Unfortunately, the AC Milan attacker is still dealing with the after-effects of a persistent ankle injury, which, apparently, he has been facing since the start of the domestic pre-season. As reported by Doug McIntyre on X, Mauricio Pochettino echoed the exact same issue while addressing the questions behind Pulisic’s omission.

“Christian didn’t train yesterday. He’s [been] suffering, from the preseason, a small issue in his ankle,” the 53-year-old said while speaking to the TNT broadcast. “After training Wednesday, his ankle was a little bit swollen. It’s an important game, yes, but at the same time, it’s important to not take risks. Of course, he’s going to be on the bench, and we’ll see. We will decide if maybe he can play,” added Poch.

It was only natural for the Argentine coach to start the 27-year-old from the bench. After all, taking a risk with Christian Pulisic would be the last thing to do at this moment; ergo, the decision to dismiss the winger from training and from the starting XI stands. Notably, taking Pulisic’s place in front in the 3-4-3 set-up is Malik Tillman, who is supported by Florian Balogun in the center forward position, with Weston McKennie taking the right wing role.

Unfortunately, the USMNT’s problems rarely end with the name of Pulisic. The former Borussia Dortmund star wasn’t the only one who was forced off Thursday’s training, with both Antonee Robinson and Alex Zendejas also being sidelined due to their respective injuries. In fact, neither of these two names made the cut in the squad, unlike Pulisic, who started from the bench.

Regardless, the talking point remains the absence of Christian, who is quite a crucial jigsaw puzzle piece in Mauricio Pochettino’s build-up towards the 2026 World Cup. No wonder it raises even more serious questions surrounding his star skipper.

Will Christian Pulisic play against Australia?

With the US men’s national team set to face the Kangaroos next week on Tuesday at Colorado’s DSG Park, it is only logical for ardent supporters to know whether Christian Pulisic will feature in this month’s second clash. Well, that was a hint that Mauricio Pochettino gave before the Ecuador game as well. “[The goal is] to be ready next Tuesday (against Australia),” said the former PSG boss, as compiled by Pro Soccer Wire.

We keep our fingers crossed to see Mr. Captain America start against Australia. Then again, that also rests on how he turns up against Ecuador, even though Pochettino used him as a substitute. God forbid his situation isn’t worse, even forcing him to take an early leave from the camp and return to Italy.

Remarkably, the problem that Pulisic faces has not only seen him miss out on Milan’s final three pre-season games but also starting from the bench several times. Yet, despite such struggles, he has been turning up for the Rossoneri in both Serie A and Coppa Italia, having notched a total of six goals and two assists in eight matches across all competitions.

Either way, only time will tell how well Christian Pulisic is and whether he’ll be ready for the next game or not.