IRVINE, Calif. — Two days after coming off at halftime of the U.S. men’s national team’s win to open the World Cup, superstar attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic was not a full participant in Monday’s training session.
Pulisic was not on the field with the team, and a U.S. Soccer spokesman said he was doing a modified training session that consisted of individual work.
He could not be spotted during the 30 minutes of training open to media.
“He is good,” manager Mauricio Pochettino said during a brief interaction with reporters.
Pulisic had an assist and was arguably the best American player during the first 45 minutes of an eventual 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday.
He left the game at half, having been kicked in the back of his left calf — an area in which he suffered a knock a few days prior during training.
His substitution for Sebastian Berhalter seemed to be a last-minute decision, judging by what Pochettino said after the game.
“When he finished the first half, started to get cold, he cannot walk,” Pochettino said postgame. “Hope that it’s not a big issue … in the last minute we needed to change and do the substitution. Now, I think it was better. Hope for the next game he will be available.”
After the game, Pulisic said he expected to be fine.
The USMNT is next in action Friday afternoon in Seattle against Australia, giving Pulisic a full week between games to recover.
“Christian will be ready, everyone,” midfielder Tyler Adams said prior to Monday’s training. “Let’s relax. I think he picked up a knock a few days before the game and I think he got kicked in the same spot. Go in at halftime, things get tight with a 15-, 20-minute break. He’ll be fine.”
Striker Haji Wright echoed the same sentiment.
“Doing well,” he said of Pulisic. “I think he got a kick. I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
Adams, a Knicks fan, said he “shared a brief convo” with Jalen Brunson in recent days.
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“I didn’t black out,” Adams said of watching the Knicks win their first title in 53 years Saturday. “My brother was crying. That just shows what it means to be a New Yorker at this moment in time. It was pretty special.”
Wright, who did not play in either pre-World Cup friendly or against Paraguay, maintained that he is healthy.