Christian Pulisic will not return to competitive action in 2024 after AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca revealed on Saturday that the United States winger had sustained a new injury complaint.
Pulisic was expected to make his comeback from a calf problem during Sunday’s Serie A clash against Roma, with Milan seeking to improve its fortunes after slipping to eighth in the table.
However, Fonseca said Pulisic picked up an ankle problem during his rehab and will be absent until at least the team’s Supercoppa Italiana semifinal against Juventus, in Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 3.
“I expected to have Pulisic,” Fonseca told reporters. “He is fine, he has recovered from his calf problem, but in the last two days he has had an ankle problem.
“It has arisen in the recovery process, and he is not ready to play (Sunday), not even for the bench.”
Milan has been bothered with several injuries, and was without eight regulars for the 1-0 win against Verona last week. Pulisic is the team’s top scorer and has been strongly linked with a new contract that could tie him to the club until past his 30th birthday.
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He is not the only USMNT star to find himself on the treatment table, either, with Tim Weah sidelined until the new year with a hamstring injury, Sergino Dest recuperating from a damaged ACL, while Folarin Balogun is scheduled to come back from shoulder surgery in April. Aidan Morris (knee), Josh Sargent (groin) and Haji Wright (ankle) have also missed time with their clubs.
Milan has a huge January ahead, with the closing stages of the Supercoppa, a visit to Juventus on the 18th, plus a pair of Champions League fixtures.
(Top photo: Alex Grimm / Getty Images)
