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Former USMNT Coach Says Pulisic Should Play Tune-Up Match if Healthy
Gregg Berhalter said Christian Pulisic should return for the United States' match against Turkiye if cleared by medical staff. Pulisic has missed training after suffering a left calf injury during the group-stage win over Paraguay.
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Berhalter made the comments on FanDuel Sports Network. He noted that sitting out would create a 19-day gap between matches for the 27-year-old forward. Pulisic last played on June 12 in a 4-1 win over Paraguay. He left that game with a left calf injury and did not train ahead of the 2-0 victory over Australia on Friday.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino told reporters earlier this week that the team follows a strict return-to-play protocol. Berhalter said the staff is progressing Pulisic through the necessary steps. Berhalter added that limited minutes would still be useful. "You don't want that much time," he said, referring to the extended layoff.
Pulisic became the fastest player in program history to reach 50 goal contributions, a mark reached on Nov. 18, 2024. The match against Turkiye is scheduled for Thursday at 10 p.m.
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