Why is Christian Pulisic not playing vs Peru today? Injury status and reason for USMNT star’s absence explained

Christian Pulisic is not part of the USMNT squad for the friendly against Peru, leaving one of the team’s biggest names out of Mauricio Pochettino’s latest plans. The United States face Peru on Saturday as Pochettino begins shaping his squad for the next World Cup cycle.

Pulisic had only recently returned to action for AC Milan after recovering from a leg injury suffered during the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup defeat to Belgium.

Also Read: How did Christian Pulisic injure his leg in US World Cup loss to Belgium? What we know as player says ‘it just sucked’

His absence comes as Pochettino uses the September and October international window to assess several younger players and look at new options for the team.