Will Christian Pulisic Play vs. Türkiye? What We Know About His World Cup Status

Will Christian Pulisic play against Türkiye tonight? The United States star sat out of the USA’s 2-0 win over Australia, but he could make an appearance in their Group D finale on Thursday at Los Angeles Stadium. Here’s everything we know about Pulisic’s availability for the United States vs. Türkiye. Why Is Pulisic Out? Pulisic delivered an assist and played great in the first half of the USA’s 4-1 win over Paraguay, but he picked up a knock after getting kicked toward the end of the first half. He was taken out of the game at halftime but downplayed the significance of the injury. In the build-up to the USA’s match against Australia, Pulisic didn’t practice with the rest of his teammates. He subsequently did not play in the 2-0 win over the Aussies. Will Pulisic Play vs. Türkiye? Pulisic has trained all week with the rest of his teammates, which is a very positive sign ahead of the match against Türkiye. Pulisic spoke to our Jenny Taft after Wednesday’s practice and said he is “ready to go” ahead of the game. “I’m feeling great,” Pulisic told Taft. “I’ve been able to join the team the last few days. I’m feeling healthy and, yeah, I’ll be ready to go for this game.” What’s At Stake For The USA? The United States already clinched a round of 32 spot and won Group D. Essentially, their final game against Türkiye will be a chance to use their roster depth and refrain from using those with yellow cards, which includes Chris Richards, Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun. The United States’ round of 32 game is set for July 1 at 8 p.m. ET at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Should Pulisic Play? Former USA midfielder Maurice Edu weighed in on whether the AC Milan star should feature against Türkiye. “I am only playing him from the start if he is 100 percent fit,” Edu wrote. “If he’s 85 or 90 percent, I’m not starting him. If that’s the case, maybe he gets 10 or 15 minutes of run, maybe as much as a half hour, toward the end, but I’m not pushing him or putting him in any jeopardy.” 2022 World Cup veteran Walker Zimmerman offered a differing take. “If I were (USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino), I’d be hesitant to play Christian Pulisic in this game,” Zimmerman wrote. “I get the idea of wanting to keep him sharp, but there’s more to lose than there is to gain.”