They say the Avengers isn’t the same without Captain America, and while Christian Pulisic may not be the First Avenger, the forward’s absence will worry the AC Milan and USMNT Camps. With the form that he’s been for club and country, the American kept finding the back of the net every time he played, but that streak may soon end, credit to an injury he picked up in a recent Serie A game. 

During AC Milan’s fixture against Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium, Pulisic was substituted in the 38th minute of the match and the American went straight down the tunnel with a slight limp. Pulisic was fouled by by Mario Pašalić in the 32nd minute and went down grabbing his ankle and seemingly in pain. He went on to play for 5 minutes before eventually being replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. 

The Rossoneri then went on to lose the match 1-2 thanks to an 87th-minute winner by Ademola Lookman. The defeat saw Atalanta currently sitting on top of the table while the Rossoneri slipped out of European qualification spots. More bad news followed as initial scans had the 26-year-old being ruled out of Milan’s Champions League fixture against Red Star Belgrade next week. 

The severity of his ankle injury can only be confirmed once he undergoes an MRI on Monday. Not all is lost, for manager Paulo Fonseca reassured the fans, mentioning that it was only a minor calf strain during the post-match press conference. Not having Pulisic is a concern for AC Milan as the American scored eight goals and provided six assists in 19 games. 

For Pulisic, injuries have plagued his career, especially during his stint at Stamford Bridge, where he got limited playing time for Chelsea. However that has since changed, considering he played the majority of the games for Milan last season. But there’s been talk that this could be his final season in Serie A. 

Christian Pulisic back in the Premier League?

As per Calciomercato, Liverpool, Manchester United, and West Ham are closely monitoring the American. While the Serie A side just paid around $22 million when buying him from Chelsea, an offer, upwards of $60 million is expected, given the form that he’s in. But perhaps, his latest injury could drop the price tag by a few million. 

For Liverpool, there have been no updates on star played Mohammed Salah’s contract renewal, with the American potentially replacing the Egyptian, if he were to leave. Also, the new Manchester United boss could do with a squad rebuild and replace the likes of Marcus Rashford or Antony. 

Amid all the commotion, former USMNT player Charlie Davies has warned the American of a move back to England. Especially considering how moving to a bigger club won’t guarantee Pulisic more game time. For now, we are likely to see the ‘Lebron James of Soccer’ stay in Italy and lead the USMNT to their World Cup at home.