Christian Pulisic races for time to attend the US team's match against Australia
Star striker Christian Pulisic is training individually to recover from a calf injury, creating doubts about the US team's ability to participate in the important match against Australia in the World Cup.
Striker Christian Pulisic was taking part in individual training sessions on Tuesday as he worked to recover from a calf injury, which has created uncertainty about the US team's participation in the crucial match against Australia next Friday. A team spokesman described Pulisic's condition as "day by day" after two consecutive days of individual training at the team's training facility in Orange County. Meanwhile, his teammates carried out a full training session as they prepared for the match in Seattle. Pulisic played only limited minutes in the US team's 4-1 World Cup opening win over Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, underscoring his important role. The AC Milan striker put in an excellent performance, scoring an assist for Folarin Balogun's first goal and causing an own goal with his relentless assists from the left. Pulisic's injury stemmed from a kick to his left calf during training last week. He was substituted at half-time of the match against Paraguay due to muscle stiffness, even though the Americans led 3-0 at half-time — their highest-scoring period in World Cup history. Coach Mauricio Pochettino said the decision to withdraw Pulisic was a precautionary measure. Pulisic remained optimistic about his recovery after the match, sharing: "I hope to be fine in the next few days. Just the back of my leg, right in the calf area. I'm still staying positive. I don't think this is a serious problem." After the match against Australia in Seattle, the US team is scheduled to return to Inglewood on June 25 to finish the group stage against Turkey. Australia beat Turkey 2-0 in their opening match and are expected to present a big test for the Americans in a match that could decide who tops Group D. The Americans have never advanced further than the round of 16 at the World Cup, but optimism is growing that the current squad can make history after an impressive start against Paraguay.
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