The USMNT winger has been waiting patiently for his first competitive minutes under Ruben Amorim, but there is still something standing between him and a return to the starting XI. Christian Pulisic’s frustrating start to the 2026-27 Serie A season is set to continue, with the Milan star starting today’s clash with Lazio from the bench. The USMNT winger has been waiting patiently for his first competitive minutes under Ruben Amorim, but there is still something standing between him and a return to the starting XI. For Pulisic, the situation is becoming increasingly unusual. He has been named in Milan’s squad for all three league matches so far but has not played a single minute, and Saturday’s trip to the Stadio Olimpico is expected to extend that wait into a fourth consecutive game. Pulisic returned to group training after a difficult summer, but his comeback has been carefully managed. The 27-year-old endured multiple physical problems during the 2026 World Cup, including a bone bruise and microfracture around his right tibia and fibula, which limited him to 224 minutes across four appearances for the United States. His return to Milan training was also interrupted by another knock, meaning he has not had the kind of uninterrupted preseason preparation Amorim would have wanted. That has made his absence from the starting lineup easier to understand, although it has still been frustrating for a player who previously established himself as one of the Rossoneri’s most important attacking figures. Christian Pulisic of AC Milan looks on The numbers from last season underline how much his consistency had already been affected. Opta recorded 30 Serie A appearances and 1,611 minutes for Pulisic in 2025-26, compared with 34 appearances and 2,489 minutes the previous season. The real reason Pulisic is starting on the bench The mystery surrounding Pulisic’s absence becomes clearer when Amorim’s comments are taken into account. The Milan coach has repeatedly stressed that the American is being managed carefully following his injury problems, rather than being pushed aside because of a lack of confidence in his ability. “Pulisic is back from injury. I’m managing him. For now, Alpha is taking his place,” Amorim explained, referring to 19-year-old Alphadjo Cisse, who has taken advantage of Pulisic’s absence. 🗣️🇵🇹 | Ruben Amorim was asked how Pulisic is and if he likes him:“You’re going to see Pulisic tomorrow. He’s going to play some minutes now. I like Pulisic. Pulisic is upset at the moment, because he has 0 minutes, and I love that. He’s ready to play. Let’s not forget that he… pic.twitter.com/Nnqk3nsbaJ— Milan Matters (@MilanMatters) September 11, 2026 Amorim has also made it clear that Pulisic’s reputation will not automatically put him ahead of a teammate who is performing well. “I won’t remove anyone who’s doing well just to name a player. This is my way of managing the group, and I’ll die with these principles,” the Portuguese coach said. That is the central reason Pulisic is starting on the bench against Lazio: his recovery is being managed while Cisse has earned the opportunity to keep his place. Cisse has scored twice in Milan’s opening three league matches, giving Amorim little reason to disrupt a player who has responded so well to his chance. Amorim actually likes Pulisic’s frustration There is, however, an important positive for Pulisic. Amorim has admitted that the American is unhappy about his lack of playing time, but rather than viewing that frustration negatively, the coach sees it as evidence of the competitive mentality he wants from his players. “Pulisic is upset at the moment because he has zero minutes, and I love that,” Amorim said. “I love that in my players. But he’s ready to play.” Christian Pulisic of AC Milan shoots whilst under pressure against Lazio The coach also confirmed that the winger should finally see action against Lazio, even if he is not given a starting role. “I think you guys are going to see Pu
Xabi Alonso has hailed an ‘outstanding’ Chelsea star (Photo: Getty) Xabi Alonso has heaped praise on one of his Chelsea players, likening him to a former Real Madrid teammate and Ballon d’Or winner. Chelsea have enjoyed a great start to the season under new manager Alonso, winning four of their opening five games across all competitions and only narrowly losing to champions Arsenal last week. Their formidable attack has already notched up 16 goals, though they face a tricky test on Saturday, against Hull City who are yet to concede in the Premier League this season. Cole Palmer and £117million summer signing Morgan Rogers have earned plenty of plaudits but it is Joao Pedro who was recently voted Premier League Player of the Month for August. Sign up for In The Mixer, Metro's football newsletter Get exclusive analysis and previews of the biggest games every Friday. Sign up now for free. The centre-forward, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Brighton last year in a transfer worth up to £60m, has scored twice and assisted two in the opening three league games. Last season, Pedro was a rare bright spot in an otherwise awful campaign for the Blues, recording 20 goals and nine assists, and was named Chelsea Player of the Season. And Alonso believes the 24-year-old should already be considered among the best No.9s in the world, like Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland. Joao Pedro has been voted Premier League Player of the Month for August (Photo: Getty) ‘If you count how many top strikers we have in the Premier League, I am sure that Joao is there. So I would rate him that way,’ the Chelsea manager said in his pre-match press conference. ‘He has been top. Not just football-wise, personality-wise. His maturity, his desire. ‘He has a very strong goal this year: to have a great season, to score many goals, and to be a nominee for not just this month but more months. Karim Benzema won five Champions Leagues and the Ballon d’Or (Photo: Getty) ‘I am not surprised, but really happy with the kind of player that we have here with Joao.’ The praise for Pedro did not stop there however, with Alonso positively comparing the Brazil international to one of the greatest centre-forwards of the last decade: Karim Benzema. The pair were teammates at Real Madrid where the Frenchmen won four La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues across a 14-year spell, which culminated with him lifting the Ballon d’Or in 2022. ‘In many things he reminds me of him,’ Alonso added, boldly tipping Pedro to emulate Benzema’s great success. ‘Because he is good in the box, he is good out of the box, he is good coming to the left side, he is good with the head. He is very complete and he is intelligent. ‘He is still young. He still has things to develop. But he has many, many absolutely outstanding qualities.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
