USMNT and AC Milan suffer major setback as Christian Pulisic forced off with injury vs. Australia

Christian Pulisic has been enjoying one of the best starts to a season in his career, shining for both AC Milan and the U.S. men’s national team as one of the standout players of the 2025-26 campaign. However, his run of form hit a major setback as Pulisic was forced off with an injury in the friendly against Australia.

The USMNT continued its October international break by facing Australia at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as part of its preparation for the 2026 World Cup. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino named a star-studded lineup, with Pulisic starting up front alongside Haji Wright and Weston McKennie.

The game didn’t start well for the U.S., as Jordan Bos put Australia ahead in the 19th minute following a scramble inside the box that the American defense failed to clear. Alarms went off in the 26th minute when Jason Geria brought down Pulisic with a heavy tackle, provoking an angry reaction from U.S. players and earning the first yellow card of the match.

Moments after the foul, Pulisic stayed on the ground in visible pain, forcing a brief stoppage in play. After being attended to by the medical staff, the Milan star appeared to be suffering from discomfort in his lower right leg, specifically his ankle, prompting Pochettino to substitute him in the 31st minute for Diego Luna.

As Pulisic made his way to the locker room escorted by the medical team, fans took the opportunity to applaud the U.S. captain. It was the second time Geria had fouled him, and after twisting his ankle earlier in the match, the second challenge proved too much for Pulisic to continue.

Pulisic’s injury concern worsens

Pulisic’s fitness had already been a concern heading into the Australia match, as the USMNT captain was left out of the starting lineup in Friday’s game against Ecuador. Manager Mauricio Pochettino had previously revealed that Pulisic had been dealing with a “minor issue” in his ankle, which limited his training sessions.

Speaking before kickoff on TNT Sports, Pochettino explained the situation: “Christian didn’t train yesterday. He’s (been) suffering, from the pre-season, a small issue in his ankle. After training Wednesday, his ankle was a little bit swollen. It’s an important game, yes, but at the same time, it’s important not to take risks. The goal is to be ready next Tuesday,” Pochettino said, referring to the Australia fixture.

Despite starting on the bench, Pulisic featured against Ecuador, coming on in the 73rd minute for Timothy Weah. However, against Australia, the decision to start him backfired, as the U.S. star appeared to aggravate the same issue that had troubled him during the preseason with Milan.