USMNT roster watch: Christian Pulisic’s gluteal strain is latest setback as World Cup camp approaches

USMNT star Christian Pulisic faces a crucial race against time to regain his form before the World Cup kicks off in June.

(DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Pulisic was one of Serie A’s best players the first half of the season, recording four goals and two assists in his first five matches and, after shaking off a hamstring injury suffered on U.S. assignment in October, adding four goals in four appearances.

Since New Year’s Day, though, Pulisic has gone 17 club matches, including 11 starts, without a goal. He also showed frustration in late March when he failed to score and didn’t have much impact on U.S. friendlies against Belgium and Portugal.

“I know I'm going to get to the other side, and things are going to click,” he said after those losing tuneups in Atlanta. In five Milan matches since, however, he has failed to score.

Pulisic’s qualities go well beyond scoring. First and foremost, he is a creator. Accordingly, he should not be entirely defined by his scoring rut. But amid the skid, his play has slipped and he hasn’t carried himself with the same confidence and swagger.

His partnership with leading scorer Rafael Leão is reportedly broken, and AC Milan has gone 2-5-1 over eight matches to slip into fourth place, 18 points behind archrival Inter Milan.

San Siro began emptying early in the second half Sunday with Milan trailing by three goals.

Prioritizing a 2026-27 Champions League berth as a top-four finisher, Pulisic & Co. will finish the season against Genoa and Cagliari the next two Sundays.

U.S. World Cup preparations will include friendlies against Senegal on May 31 in Charlotte and Germany on June 6 in Chicago. The Group D opener is six days later against Paraguay in metro Los Angeles.

As poor as things have turned for Pulisic, there are these hopeful elements:

The U.S. has three strikers enjoying productive seasons — Monaco’s Folarin Balogun, Coventry City’s Haji Wright and PSV Eindhoven’s Ricardo Pepi — to help alleviate pressure on their star teammate.

And looking back at the run-up to the 2022 World Cup, Pulisic had just one goal in 18 matches across all competitions for Chelsea. Then in Qatar, he assisted on Tim Weah’s goal in the opener against Wales and scored the lone goal against Iran to secure passage to the knockout stage before assisting on Wright’s Round-of-16 goal against the Netherlands.

Here’s how the rest of the U.S. roster contenders fared over the weekend:

Netherlands

In his first start since March 7, when he injured a hamstring, Sergiño Dest started at left back (instead of his typical role on the right) and assisted on Pepi’s goal late in the first half of PSV Eindhoven’s 4-1 victory at Go Ahead Eagles.

Dest played 65 minutes, Pepi 86 for the Eredivisie champions. In scoring his 15th league goal in just 25 appearances and 15 starts, Pepi has five goals in the past four matches. He also scored three Champions League goals.

Germany

Midfielder Gio Reyna scored his first Bundesliga goal since January 2025, a stoppage-time tally in Mönchengladbach’s 3-1 loss at Augsburg. Still without a starting assignment since Dec. 19, he entered in the 58th minute of the club’s penultimate match.

Usually a right back or wing, American Joe Scally went the distance at left back. Augsburg center back Noahkai Banks didn’t play for the sixth consecutive match.

In his seventh straight appearance as a sub, midfielder Malik Tillman entered in the 65th minute of Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 loss at Stuttgart.

England

Fulham left back Antonee Robinson made his second straight 90-minute effort in a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth, which extended its Premier League unbeaten streak to 16. Midfielder Tyler Adams entered in the 43rd minute for the Cherries, who have risen to sixth place and into good position to qualify for the Europa League or even the Champions League.

Three days after advancing to the Conference League final, center back Chris Richards played 90 minutes in Crystal Palace’s 2-2 draw with Everton. The Eagles will visit second-place Manchester City on Wednesday.

In the first leg of a promotion playoff semifinal, defensive midfielder Aidan Morris played 90 in Middlesbrough’s 0-0 home draw with Southampton. The second leg is Tuesday, with the winner facing Millwall or Hull City in the May 23 final at Wembley.

Wright completed his 17-goal season for promoted Coventry City last week.

Midfielder Brenden Aaronson and Leeds will visit Tottenham on Monday.

France

Defensive midfielder Tanner Tessmann has been shut down for the rest of Olympique Lyonnais’ season with a muscle strain, forcing him to miss the final two matches. The severity of the injury was not disclosed.

The Alabama native appeared in 41 matches across all competitions and started 28.

Balogun went without a goal for just the third time in 13 Monaco matches during a 1-0 loss to Lille.

In his 27th Ligue 1 start, center back Mark McKenzie went 90 in Toulouse’s 2-1 win over Olympique Lyonnais.

Weah, who sat out last week on a yellow-card suspension, was sidelined with an unspecified injury and missed Olympique Marseille’s 1-0 triumph at Le Havre.

Italy

Weston McKennie started in central midfield and logged 86 minutes in Juventus’ 1-0 win at Lecce, lifting the club into third place and strengthening its bid for a Champions League berth next season.

Scotland

Center back Auston Trusty continued his fine season with Celtic, going the distance in a 3-1 win over archrival Rangers — a result that pulled his Glasgow club within one point of first-place Hearts with two matches left. Celtic and Hearts will collide in Saturday’s finale.

Mexico

Winger Alex Zendejas and Club America visited Pumas late Sunday in the second leg of their Liga MX quarterfinal.

Major League Soccer

Center back Tim Ream (groin injury) returned from a 4½-game absence and contributed an assist in Charlotte’s 2-2 draw with Cincinnati.

Center back Miles Robinson, who missed the previous three matches with a leg injury, entered in the 56th minute for Cincinnati. Roman Celentano started in goal.

Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter scored the 76th-minute equalizer in a 1-1, top-of-the-league showdown at San Jose.

He has four goals and seven assists in 11 matches. Whitecaps center back Tristan Blackmon played 90.

Midfielder Diego Luna scored his fourth in six matches since returning to Real Salt Lake’s lineup, an 85th-minute goal in a 3-1 loss at Dallas.

Midfielder Cristian Roldan assisted in Seattle’s 1-1 draw with San Diego.

Matt Freese recorded his second clean sheet as New York City routed Columbus, 3-0. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and winger Max Arfsten started for the Crew.

New England’s Matt Turner continued pressing Freese for the starting job after earning a 2-1 win over Philadelphia.

Goalkeeper Chris Brady and Chicago suffered a 3-1 setback to Red Bull New York.