Pulisic Out of America's Plans Against Australia Due to Injury

The United States national team suffered a significant blow ahead of their match against Australia in the 2026 World Cup, as it was confirmed that their star and captain, Christian Pulisic, will be absent due to a calf muscle injury.

According to reports, Pulisic has not fully recovered from the injury he sustained in recent days, which worsened during the opening match against Paraguay. This led the coaching staff, led by Mauricio Pochettino, to exclude him from the match against Australia and not take any risks with him.

The AC Milan star left the Paraguay match at halftime after feeling pain in his left leg. He then underwent a special rehabilitation program and trained individually throughout the week, but his physical condition did not allow him to participate in the game.

American sources confirmed that striker Ricardo Pepi was given the opportunity to start instead of Pulisic, in the only change Pochettino made to his starting lineup.

Despite the significance of the absence, the coaching staff expressed optimism about the possibility of the American team captain returning for the upcoming match against Turkey, especially since the injury does not appear to be serious and only requires more rest and conservative treatment.

Pulisic is considered one of the standout stars for the United States in the tournament, having played a crucial role in the significant victory over Paraguay in the first round. His absence against Australia represents a major technical loss for the U.S. team in one of the most important matches of the group stage.