Christian Pulisic could be sidelined until January after tearing a muscle in his right calf last week during AC Milan’s 2-1 loss to Atalanta, the Italian club said on Monday.
The U.S. men’s national team star — and the Rossoneri‘s leading scorer this season — was substituted from the match in the first half and underwent an MRI that revealed a minor tear.
Pulisic will miss AC Milan’s Champions League meeting with Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday, plus Serie A games against Genoa this weekend, at Verona on Dec. 20 and versus Roma on Dec. 29. The seven-time European champions open their 2025 schedule on Jan. 3 in Saudi Arabia, where they’ll face Juventus and Pulisic’s USMNT teammates Weston McKennie and Tim Weah in the Italian SuperCup semifinal.
Pulisic could return for that match. AC Milan said that the Hersey, Pennsylvania native would be reevaluated next week.
With eight goals in 20 Serie A and Champions League appearances, Pulisic has been Milan’s best player this season, his second in Italy after four years with Chelsea of England’s Premier League.
Pulisic’s time in London was beset by injury, but he’s managed to stay mostly healthy ever since moving to Milan. The 26-year-old played in 50 games across all competitions in 2023-24 and scored 12 goals, both career highs. He has started every game for the club this season.
The injury is not expected to force Pulisic to miss any time with the national team. While a mostly MLS-based U.S. squad will play a pair of friendlies next month, the full-strength USMNT won’t reconvene until a few days before its March 20 Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Panama in Los Angeles.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports. A staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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