Keyword – Football
Trefwoorden – Christian Pulisic, USA, Football, US sports, Sport, World Cup 2026, World Cup
Title – A mercurial talent to a workhorse: who should replace Christian Pulisic if he misses the Australia game? | Christian Pulisic | The Guardian
Author – https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jeff-rueter
Link – A mercurial talent to a workhorse: who should replace Christian Pulisic if he misses the Australia game? | Christian Pulisic | The Guardian
Publish date – 2026-06-17T23:33:32.000Z
Category – Sport
URL – https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/17/christian-pulisic-fitness-usa-australia-world-cup

Mauricio Pochettino now has the privilege of giving the new World Cup format a practical test.

The Argentinian wisely played it safe at half-time of the United States’ 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay, pulling Christian Pulisic before his calf could be kicked any more. The attacking midfielder said after the match that he had taken similar punishment before, and he was optimistic he would be fit for the next match. As of Wednesday, he was still training away from his teammates and wearing a sleeve on his left calf.

And so, Pochettino must weigh a question many have wondered since Fifa announced this would be the first World Cup with 48 teams. How much will teams gamble with players’ fitness after securing the three points many expect should be enough to ensure safe passage to the round of 32? The team’s strong performance against Paraguay has US fans thinking about the long game. But the Americans could find themselves on the end of some hefty challenges when they face an Australian team who have clearly been irritated by disparaging comments about the Socceroos in the US media. All this with control of Group D on the line too.

All of this could be posturing, of course. Keeping Pulisic off to the side during training could invite the slightest bit of uncertainty into Australia’s preparations after such a decisive first US performance in their opener. It’s the World Cup, where the smallest of advantages must be found.

But even so, such was the emphatic nature of their opening win that the United States may want to protect Pulisic from harm in their remaining group games. But it’s not as simple as that: there’s no like-for-like replacement for Pulisic.

Option 1: The man in form with a point to prove

Gio Reyna last logged a 60-minute shift for club or country on 19 December 2025. But after his incredible late goal against Paraguay , one can’t rule out the possibility of a larger role against Australia.

While he continues to struggle to establish himself at the club level, Reyna’s rare talent kept him in Pochettino’s rotation as the Argentinian tested alternatives in midfield. Reyna would help the US with ball retention – he has proven technical acumen in tight areas – and his incisive passing comes in handy against well-organized defensive structures.

Reyna came off at half-time of the May friendly against Senegal, then entered as a substitute against Germany (30 minutes) and Paraguay (nine minutes). Reyna was originally expected to be a super-sub given his lack of time for his club, Borussia Mönchengladbach. But Pulisic’s injury and Reyna’s own heightened confidence could make him an option to start against Australia.

Option 2: Tucker out the Socceroos from the opening whistle

Pochettino could still unleash Reyna against Australia after they’ve been adequately tired out by the industrious Brenden Aaronson . The 25-year-old was a key figure in Leeds’s return season to the Premier League, bringing tireless off-ball movement and pressing and steadily improving his end product. Still, it’s the stuff away from the box score that has endeared him to the coaches he has played under. Aaronson is the kind of player who makes the team around him a little bit better due to his thankless efforts.

Then again, Aaronson hasn’t been a regular part of Pochettino’s teamsheets. No outfield player earned less time in March camp than Aaronson’s 11 minutes, while he logged just 18 against Germany and didn’t leave the bench against Paraguay. His lack of goals and assists for the US have been an issue, but he could open up more space for Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie and others while tenderizing Australia’s defense.

Option 3: Introduce some width and shot volume

With Balogun now a priority for opponents to mark, Pulisic has relished having more time and space on the ball over the last three games as opponents drop deeper. Often, he’s now the US’s second-greatest scoring threat when everyone is available: a crucial second proven option to make opponents sweat their rotations in the final third. While Reyna’s worldie against Paraguay showcased his finishing chops, neither he nor Aaronson could replicate Pulisic’s threat in front of goal.

It could be time for Tim Weah to return to the lineup. A versatile option who can play along the right flank, Weah also rose up the youth ranks as a center-forward and can credibly play a slightly wider interpretation of an attacking midfield role. The reality is that the US haven’t played identically in any consecutive games of the Pochettino era, both in terms of style and often of formation. The trick is to combine the right roles to put it all together in a roster with plenty of chemistry and movement.

Weah thrived in a break behind Wales’s backline at the last World Cup, nimbly prodding home his team’s first goal in Qatar. It may require McKennie to shift to the left in that attacking midfield line, but getting Weah on the field adds another capable shooter to the mix.

Option 4: Make the change further back

Pulisic’s presence and McKennie’s impact in a more advanced role has recently shunted Malik Tillman back a line. He’s made an incredible first impression despite little prior experience in central midfield, a key link in the US’s unbalanced midfield. Tillman played the joint second-most progressive passes (eight) and led the US with five balls played into the opponent’s box against Paraguay, per Futi, including his assist on Balogun’s second goal of the night .

When the US last faced Australia, none of the four attacking midfielders listed above had an assist. Instead it was Cristian Roldan who scythed up the channel to provide Haji Wright with a pair of assists. For much of the last year, Pochettino has shown Sebastian Berhalter even greater trust to break lines. Berhalter is also the roster’s dead-ball specialist, another factor to consider, since Pulisic still takes the occasional set-piece.

Tillman and McKennie could then operate in the advanced line in tandem while one of Berhalter or Roldan could help Tyler Adams in the engine room. In a game that could be hard-fought, that extra bit of midfield steel could go a long way toward staying in control of proceedings.