During his first season at Chelsea, Christian Pulisic suffered a nasty adductor injury that took him a few months to fully recover from. While he was rehabilitating, the covid-19 shutdown occurred, and he had more time to convalesce. When Project Restart transpired, he was simply one of the best players in the Premier League.
Then he injured his hamstring in the FA Cup final on August 1, and re-injured it on Halloween. He’s battled through injuries this season, but when asked about his recent history of fitness issues today, he rejected the media narrative that he’s “injury prone.”
Chelsea at Real Madrid UCL Semifinal Leg 1/2 FYIs
Kickoff: Tues April 27, Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, Madrid, 8pm
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Odds: Chelsea +220 Real Madrid +135 Draw +220
“I feel very confident in my body and my fitness levels at the moment,” Pulisic said at a Champions League media opportunity ahead of tomorrow night’s semifinal first leg against Real Madrid.
“I’ve played a string of games. I’ve never thought of myself as a player who is ‘injury-prone’ or anything. Obviously I’ve had a tough time the past year and a bit but it is really about taking care of my body and putting myself in the best position to be available for every single game and I feel good about that right now.”
In addition to the injury issues he’s had to battle at Chelsea, Pulisic also found himself sidelined from time to time while he was at Borussia Dortmund. It is absolutely a fair question to be asked by a reporter, and the 22-year-old left sided attacking player gave a very appropriate response.
What else would you expect the young, promising American to say in this situation. What’s most important right now is how he’s currently feeling, and that is totally fine. He’s currently back in form, and finding his touch again.
Manager Thomas Tuchel has said that Pulisic is really trusting in his body right now.
His inclusion in the press conference here means he’s likely to get a first team assignment tomorrow night.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.