Mauricio Pochettino, the new head coach of the United States men’s national team, has voiced his concerns about Christian Pulisic’s heavy workload at AC Milan ahead of his debut match with the national team. In a press conference before the USA’s friendly against Panama, Pochettino praised Pulisic’s talents while expressing worry about his playing time in Italy.
“He’s a great player, a fantastic footballer,” Pochettino said of Pulisic. “One of the best offensive talents in the world. And I think that, both in the present and in the future, he will contribute to bringing this national team to the position we want to reach.”
However, Pochettino’s admiration was tempered with concern: “At Milan, he’s playing every single minute of every single game, and this worries us a bit. Sometimes we need to protect him. He arrived tired, we’ll see if he plays. We need to try to help Pulisic when we really need him because he needs to be fit, strong and happy; we need to build an excellent relationship with his club.”
The new USA coach emphasized the importance of player welfare and the team’s responsibility to their clubs: “We want to play with eleven players who are well, feel fresh and have the opportunity to take the field without running any risk. We have a responsibility to the clubs, and we must send them back in the same condition they arrived, without risking any injury.”
Pochettino’s comments suggest that Pulisic may not be guaranteed to start in the coach’s first match in charge. The Milan attacking midfielder has played in all nine of the club’s matches so far this season, starting each one in both Serie A and the Champions League.