Pulisic a Doubt for US vs. Australia Friday
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- Christian Pulisic is doing "much better" from a left calf injury but remains a doubt for Friday's USMNT World Cup Group D match against Australia, per manager Mauricio Pochettino.
- Pochettino said medical staff would assess Pulisic later Thursday, adding "if we see he's not available for tomorrow, he will be available for the next game."
- Pulisic first injured the calf in training last week and was forced off at halftime of the USMNT's World Cup-opening win over Paraguay after aggravating the injury.
- Pulisic arrived at Thursday's practice with a wrapped left calf, was accompanied by performance and medical staffers, went to the gym, and did not train with teammates, though he had done some field work Wednesday.
- Potential replacements if Pulisic can't go include Brenden Aaronson, Giovanni Reyna, Timothy Weah, and Alejandro Zendejas, Pochettino told reporters.
- Weston McKennie called himself "the energy guy" trying to keep spirits up and said Pulisic "really wants to be [there] and he's doing everything that he can."
Why it matters: With kickoff under 24 hours away, the USMNT's most dangerous attacker is racing the clock on a calf strain that already forced him off at halftime of the Paraguay opener, forcing Pochettino to weigh a game-time lineup call against risking further damage in a World Cup group stage with no margin to spare.
