Christian Pulisic resumes United States training after calf injury
Christian Pulisic has returned to full training for the United States after recovering from a calf injury that kept him out of their recent World Cup victory over Australia.
The forward originally suffered the left calf problem just days before a 4-1 tournament-opening victory against Paraguay.
He managed to play the first half of that fixture before aggravating the issue.
The AC Milan attacker was subsequently left on the bench as an unused substitute during the 2-0 win over the Australians.
Midfield injury concerns
However, news regarding team-mate Cristian Roldan is less positive following reports of a muscle strain.
The midfielder is currently being assessed on a day-to-day basis by national team medical staff.
His absence arrives at a frustrating time as he was expected to step in for Tyler Adams in the upcoming group clash with Turkey.
Adams is one booking away from a suspension and is likely to be rested to ensure his availability for the last 32.
Rising confidence in the camp
Despite the mixed fitness updates, morale remains exceptionally high after the national side secured top spot in their group.
Alex Zendejas, who could make his tournament debut against the Turks, highlighted the positive atmosphere behind the scenes.
“The team is like having fun, training’s intense, but in a good way,” Zendejas stated.
“It’s fun being around these guys, there’s a bunch of jokes, messing around, but then when it comes to work and training and games we get serious.”
The strong squad bond was evident when players collectively chased down Alex Freeman to celebrate his goal against Australia.
Support from home
The players are also becoming increasingly aware of the massive support they are receiving from fans back across the Atlantic.
Striker Folarin Balogun revealed that Weston McKennie has been sharing social media videos of jubilant supporters reacting to their goals.
“Every time we score they were celebrated in different places,” Balogun told reporters.
“I think it’s not something any of us can really comprehend because we’re in it, but once we kind of get on with our daily lives, we’ll be able to see the impact we’ve made.”
