The end of the United States' World Cup came with a physical cost for its most important player. Christian Pulisic sustained a microfracture and a bone bruise during the team's 4-1 round-of-16 loss to Belgium on Monday, sources told ESPN.
How it happened
Pulisic went off during the defeat that eliminated the co-hosts, hurt on a play he described as a bad tangle of joints. "I just totally twisted my ankle and my knee in one play," he told reporters afterward, per ESPN, adding, "I have time to rest. It's just an unfortunate way to finish."
The timeline
The injury is expected to keep Pulisic out for a number of weeks, sources told ESPN, which would push into the buildup to the new club season. Pulisic plays for AC Milan in Italy, and a layoff of this length could affect how much of the club's preseason he takes part in. He had also been managing a minor issue earlier in the tournament, adding to a physically taxing summer.
Why it matters
Pulisic is the face of the U.S. program, its most recognizable and often most decisive player, so any significant injury draws attention beyond a single result. His recovery will be watched closely both by his club and by U.S. Soccer, which will want him healthy for the challenges ahead. For a young American side whose home World Cup ended at the first knockout hurdle, the sight of its star limping off was a fitting, if painful, coda, and the injury news gives the disappointment a longer tail.
