Heat, Altitude, and Hamstrings: Pulisic's Injury Sends Milan's Plans Off Script

Injury and climate concerns hit Milan ahead of key fixtures

Mauricio Pochettino, head coach of the United States men’s national team, voiced frustration at the sharp climate difference between Austin and Denver during the current international window, calling it a “big risk” for his players after star Christian Pulisic left the friendly 2-1 win over Australia with an injury.

According to Pochettino, training in Austin under high temperatures and then moving to Denver’s high altitude and cold weather “poses a major risk” to players.

The Argentine coach also noted Malik Tillman did not feature in the match after feeling a strain in his hamstring, a problem similar to Pulisic’s.

The coach further explained that while he doesn’t want to pin the issues on one cause, the climate and travel demands are clearly hard on the body, and a solution must be found for the future.

Pulisic left the game in the middle of the first half after a tough challenge by Australian defender Jason Geria. He had earlier reported ankle discomfort, having played 18 minutes against Ecuador the previous Friday, but the on-field treatment this time did not reveal an ankle injury before Pochettino confirmed it was a hamstring issue.

Geria’s first challenge came at minute 15 when Pulisic collected the ball on the left; the Australian defender won the collision, and Pulisic’s right foot ended up caught, causing ankle pain. He collapsed for about 30 seconds before continuing to play until the 26th minute, when Geria fouled him again during a decisive counter. He stayed on the turf for a couple of minutes, and the medical staff treated him on the field as the crowd watched with concern. When the coach and staff reached the sideline, Pulisic walked toward the bench with a grimace, and Diego Luna was ready to come on as a substitute.

Rising concern followed as Pulisic sat with his teammates around him; substitute goalkeeper Matt Turner tried to ease the mood. After a moment, Pulisic rose with assistance and headed toward the locker room, while his coach and aide looked on in hesitation. Christian Roldan later spoke about the disappointment of seeing a key scorer leave the field, stressing that Pulisic is having a terrific season and deserves a clear path to recovery so he can reach the World Cup in peak form.

It’s worth noting that Pulisic currently shares the lead in the Serie A scoring charts, tied with several others, and is expected to return to Milan this week, though his participation in Sunday’s Fiorentina match remains uncertain.

International break complications for Milan

In the same window, Milan winger Alexis Saelemaekers pulled up for Belgium against North Macedonia earlier in the week and returned to Milan for further tests, with a likelihood of missing the next league game against Fiorentina on Sunday, October 19. Gazzetta dello Sport reports the Belgium winger could be out for up to a month, though Milan has not yet published an official diagnosis.

On the other side, Milan’s left-back Pervis Estupiñán, who also features for Ecuador, left the field early in a friendly against the United States but stayed with his national team for a match against Mexico. His availability for Milan’s Fiorentina clash remains unclear, though he could yet be fit to feature if he regains full match sharpness in time.

Overall, Milan must adjust to the possibility of missing key players during a dense run of fixtures, while Pochettino will hope his squad can recover quickly to maintain momentum in domestic and international competition.

Punchlines to end on a lighter note:
- If climate is a player, it’s clearly a star midfielder—it moves the ball, it moves the players, and it never lets Milan keep a clean sheet.
- And if injuries were a global tour, Milan would be headlining with a season-long roadshow called “The Hamstring Express.”