Christian Pulisic’s recent form for Chelsea has made USMNT fans finally feel something for the first time since that October 2017 night in Trinidad. Chelsea has played and won three games since the return of football, with the Pennsylvania native earning all three “Man of the Match” awards.
He provided the spark for a comeback against Aston Villa, helped Liverpool win the Premier League title and had some fantastic play against Leicester City during Chelsea’s 1-0 FA Cup quarterfinal victory.
The 21-year-old was substituted out of the FA Cup clash after 72 minutes of play. Frank Lampard revealed in a Zoom press conference that the substitution was due to Pulisic’s calf bothering him.
Lampard starts by reporting on the fitness of his squad. 'Christian Pulisic had a tightness in his calf when he came off at Leicester, which we're managing. It feels better than it did but we'll see tomorrow.' Andreas Christensen's fitness is also being monitored. #WHUCHE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 30, 2020
The American’s shot at a fourth straight “Man of the Match” honor could be in jeopardy with the calf issue. Lampard said after the Manchester City game that Pulisic could be one of the best players in the world and has the talent to do so.
Frank Lampard sees a bright future for Christian Pulisic pic.twitter.com/OSLKImkpIe
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 28, 2020
The Chelsea manager has also said that on a team full of striking talent, Pulisic is the future of Chelsea’s attack. With all of the high praise from Lampard, it is unlikely that he would risk playing Pulisic for a full 90 minutes with a calf complication.
Pulisic missed a large portion of the season with an adductor injury and was unlikely to play at all this season after suffering a setback in January. With the season postponed due to coronavirus, the American was given a second chance that he has not wasted at all.
The Chelsea vs. West Ham match will be played at 3:15 p.m. EST on Wednesday and will be aired on NBCSN.
