Pulisic set for Milan minutes at Lazio after 'upset' bench start — SkimNews
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- Christian Pulisic has been an unused substitute in AC Milan's opening three Serie A games this season, prompting Amorim to call the U.S. forward 'upset' about logging zero minutes.
- Ruben Amorim, who replaced Massimiliano Allegri this summer, said Pulisic is likely to play 'at least a few minutes' at Lazio on Saturday after being eased back from a bone bruise and microfracture in his lower leg.
- AC Milan are unbeaten under Amorim — wins over Torino and Venezia followed by a draw at Juventus — and the coach said no player earns an automatic place in a winning team.
- Pulisic's lower-leg injury prematurely ended his World Cup in the round-of-16 loss to Belgium after he skipped the previous summer's Gold Cup to arrive at the tournament in peak fitness.
- Mauricio Pochettino referenced Pulisic's Gold Cup decision this week, calling the 'if I play, I have no holidays' mindset 'bull----' and saying habits must change within the U.S. program.
- After Lazio, Milan have two more fixtures before the FIFA international window, when the U.S. plays home friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada.
Why it matters: Amorim told reporters that an eight-week, three-games-per-week stretch after the international break will force rotation across the squad, so Pulisic's zero minutes through three matches is a workload decision rather than a talent verdict. Pochettino's separate rebuke of Pulisic's Gold Cup-skip logic reinforces the same message from the U.S. side: availability now matters more than preservation.
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