Overview
- Pulisic suffered the injury when his foot struck Youri Tielemans' leg in the U.S. loss to Belgium, and he was substituted in the 59th minute of the Round of 16 match on Monday, July 6.
- X-ray and MRI scans conducted after the game identified a bone bruise and a microfracture of the right tibia and fibula, a diagnosis the U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed on July 9.
- He is expected to be out for several weeks, is not believed to need surgery, and the plan is for him to aim to resume training before AC Milan’s Serie A opener on August 23.
- Pulisic’s early exit and his postgame remark that he would 'have time to rest' prompted sharp criticism from former U.S. players including Landon Donovan and Carli Lloyd, who questioned his commitment.
- The injury follows a pre-tournament left calf problem that limited his minutes at the World Cup and will keep him unavailable for any further matches had the U.S. advanced, raising fresh questions about his fitness at big tournaments.