Christian Pulisic is reportedly feeling uneasy and "upset" about his limited playing time at AC Milan to start the current Serie A season. The 27-year-old midfielder has not played a single minute through the team's first three league matches, leading to frustration while he has been on the bench.
AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim acknowledged Pulisic's current state ahead of the team's match against Lazio on Saturday. "Pulisic is upset at the moment because he has zero minutes, and I love that," Amorim stated. "I love that in my players. But he’s ready to play."
Amorim also cited a recent injury as a factor. "Let’s not forget he had an injury, then in the first training he had a knock, and he stopped a little bit and returned," the manager explained. He indicated that Pulisic is expected to see action soon, potentially in the upcoming weekend fixture. "I think you guys are going to see Pulisic," Amorim told reporters on Friday. "I don’t know if he’s going to start, if he’s going to get on the pitch. I think he’s going to play at least some minutes now."
Pulisic joined AC Milan last season, appearing in 34 matches and recording 10 goals and four assists. He was part of the United States Men's National Team that was eliminated in the Round of 16 during the recent World Cup. Pulisic himself suffered a bone bruise and microfracture in his right leg during the team's Round of 16 match against Belgium in July.
Amorim emphasized his team selection philosophy, stating that player selection is not solely based on a player's global reputation. "It doesn’t matter if you are a top player, I don’t take [out] all the other guys who are doing well to put in any player in the world," he said. "That is my way of living, and this is the way I’m going to die or finish my career."
The manager assured that Pulisic remains a vital part of the team's plans, especially with a busy schedule ahead. "Pulisic is really important for us. After the [international break], we’ll have eight weeks with three games per week. I think they are going to be tired of playing, so there’ll be time for everyone. Pulisic is really important for us and is going to play a lot of games, but you need to understand the context and history to understand why I do things the way I do. I think you guys will see him this weekend; you will not miss him a lot."