Why Christian Pulisic isn't starting for USA tonight, and if he might play vs. Türkiye after injury

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Christian Pulisic was brilliant in the first 45 minutes of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the United States.

The USMNT star hasn't taken the pitch since, and that remains true to start against Turkiye on Thursday night in the final match of Group D play.

It's a key storyline, of course, with the U.S. dreaming big at this tournament at home.

But it's not totally clear how Pulisic's injury could impact what comes next.

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Why isn't Christian Pulisic starting tonight?

Pulisic is on the bench as he continues to recover from a calf injury sustained in the first half of the opening match against Paraguay.

He has returned to training, and so there are signs of optimism.

But head coach Mauricio Pochettino is playing it careful with Pulisic.

The U.S. has already clinched the top spot in the group, so starting Pulisic isn't particularly necessary on Thursday.

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Pochettino and Pulisic have both suggested he could get time in a substitute cameo to get back up to game speed a bit.

It's risky, of course, coming off injury in a game that doesn't mean anything for the standings.

But the U.S. is trying to balance that with having Pulisic be sharp, so there's a chance he gets into the game.