US hopes Pulisic can play Australia after calf injury

Christian Pulisic's availability for the United States' upcoming World Cup clash against Australia remains uncertain as the forward continues to recover from a left calf injury. Pulisic was substituted at halftime during the team's opening match and is currently being evaluated daily, participating in a modified training program that includes individual gym and field work.

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We're really hoping Christian is going to be back for the game of course.

Teammates Brenden Aaronson and Antonee Robinson expressed optimism about Pulisic's potential return. "We're really hoping Christian is going to be back for the game of course," Aaronson told reporters, acknowledging that he might need to step in if Pulisic is unavailable. Robinson added that Pulisic is determined to get back on the field, but the team is prepared regardless. "Thankfully we've got a lot of boys on the bench who are eager and ready to get involved," he said.

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I don't really know what is going on in particular, but we know that he is going to give us his all to get back into the team and be there for the game.

Pulisic had a standout performance in the U.S.'s 4-1 victory over Paraguay, contributing to an own goal and setting up a score by Folarin Balogun before his injury. The team, currently based in Southern California, appeared relaxed and focused during training. Despite some pundits predicting Australia as the weakest team in their group, the Socceroos' recent 2-0 win against Turkey means the U.S. expects a challenging match. "We know that they are going to be very, very tough to play against," Aaronson stated, emphasizing the need to maintain confidence without becoming complacent.

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He has not been training fully with the group yet, but we've got a couple of days to see where he's at.