Update On Christian Pulisic's Status For World Cup Round Of 16 Match

IR Iran v USA: Group B - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Photo: Getty Images

United States Men's National Team manager Gregg Berhalter said midfielder Christian Pulisic is looking "pretty good" ahead of the team's 2022 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against the Netherlands on Saturday (December 3).

Pulisic is dealing with a pelvic contusion he suffered while scoring the decisive goal in the 38th minute of the Americans' 1-0 win against Iran on Tuesday (November 29), which forced him to miss the second half of the match.

"We're going to see him on the training field today," Berhalter said during a news conference from Qatar on Friday (December 2) via ESPN. "What I think is, it looks pretty good, but we'll have to see him today on the pitch to get confirmation of that."

Pulisic -- who was helped off the pitch by USMNT trainers, returned briefly and later replaced by Brenden Beiranvand on Tuesday -- has publicly stated his intention to play in Saturday's match, but implied that he may not be able to go the full 90 minutes, while discussing the injury with ESPN's Sam Borden during an exclusive interview.

"I'm going to do everything in my power, with this staff and medical team, to make sure that however long I can be out on that field, I'll be out there giving my 110 percent no matter what," Pulisic said. "Because I owe it to this game, I owe it to this team, I owe it to the country back home. I'm going to do everything I can."

The Americans are also dealing with an injury to forward Josh Sargent who exited Tuesday's match in the 77th minute due to what a U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman later confirmed was "right ankle soreness."

"He's another one we're going to test in training," Berhalter said regarding Sargent's status. "Let's see where he's at. I think with Christian, we're hopeful. I think with [Sargent], a little less so.

"But we will see. I mean, he's going to test, he's gonna goat this time. At this stage, it's go time. If you can, if you can push through it, you do. So I'm sure he'll have that mindset."

The USMNT will face the Netherlands on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. ET.


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