Christian Pulisic could make his first appearance under Ruben Amorim on Friday night, with minutes expected against Venezia at San Siro, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The American missed the opening 2-1 win at Torino, having only returned to group training last week. His summer was shaped by the injury he picked up in his final World Cup match with the United States, which kept him at Milanello working on his recovery while the rest of the squad went on tour.
Pulisic recovered quickly enough to earn a place in the squad for the trip to Turin, despite not playing a single minute in pre-season friendlies. He did not get on the pitch there, but his progress means his first run-out of the campaign could arrive at San Siro on Friday.
The role in question is the one Amorim earmarked for him: left-sided attacking midfielder. In Turin it was Alphadjo Cisse who filled it from the bench, and the young Italian caught the eye in the position, giving the coach an early alternative in that area.
Venezia is familiar territory for Pulisic. He has faced them twice in his career and scored on both occasions, a small piece of history that adds to his case for starting.
As one forward pushes for minutes, another has left. Christopher Nkunku’s move to Leipzig, a loan with an option to buy, was made official yesterday, thinning out Amorim’s attacking options ahead of the home opener.
For a player who spent his summer rehabbing instead of touring, Friday would mark the proper start to Pulisic’s season, and Amorim will decide how many minutes he gets.