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Why Is Christian Pulisic Not Playing Tonight For AC Milan Vs Leece?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Marcelo Cartaxo | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 3:43 PM ET

Christian Pulisic is not starting for AC Milan against Lecce in the second round of Serie A. The winger started in the opening game of the season and scored one of the two goals in the victory over Bari in the Coppa Italia. He was also in the starting lineup for AC Milan’s Serie A opener.

Milan lost to Cremonese in their Serie A opener. Pulisic also started that match but didn’t score this time. Since then, the player has been called up for the USMNT’s September friendlies, his first time back with the squad since opting out of the 2025 Gold Cup. Now, as Milan takes on Leece on Friday, August 29, Christian Pulisic is not in the starting lineup—he’s on the bench.

Here's how we line up on MD2! #LecceMilan
Brought to you by pic.twitter.com/FRs0E5RDWe
— AC Milan (@acmilan) August 29, 2025

Is Pulisic Still Injured?

The reason Christian Pulisic is not starting the game against Leece is because he picked up an ankle injury. Manager Massimiliano Allegri opted to leave Pulisic out of the starting lineup but could bring him into the match if he doesn’t show any signs of struggle during the warm-up.

Looking ahead to the USMNT friendly matches in a week, Pulisic is expected to be healthy for the games against South Korea and Japan. On the other hand, if he hasn’t fully healed and still starts both matches, there’s a risk of the injury getting worse—one of the main reasons why many club managers dislike when players leave mid-season to play for their national teams.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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