Christian Pulisic saw minimal action but some footballers got the chance to play alongside or against him. One of them is US Men's National Team player Aaron long who compares Pulisic's dribbling ability to USMNT legend Landon Donovan.
Currently signed with Chelsea, the 21-year-old winger has struggled after transferring from Borussia Dortmund. So far, he has amassed six goals and six assists before getting sidelined for the Blues. Pulisic is dealing with an adductor strain he sustained while in training and the American winger has yet to return to active duty, NBC Sports reported.
Pulisic was set expected to return sometime last month but all that got scrapped due to the forced suspension of games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Frank Lampard reportedly tried him out during an in-house game and that was the last update on the health status of the American winger.
Hence like most, Pulisic is left to wait on what lies ahead of the current season. The lull could end up working to the Blues midfielder's advantage, getting added rest that would allow him to heal better. Should he be up and about, returning to action once more could be a big lift to the wards of Lampard.
Long detailed some of the things to expect from Pulisic once he springs back to action. He marvels at the ability of his teammate to accelerate, light on his feet similar to how Landon Donovan played during his prime, ESPN reported.
“His acceleration, and it’s not just his top speed, it’s quickness and top speed mixed," Long said. “The way he can dribble around defenders and make it look effortless is crazy. It’s something I’ve never seen before.”
For Long, Carlos Vela of Mexico is his bet as best player over at the CONCACAF for now. But at some point, he believes that Pulisic should easily reach that level - if not better.
Aside from Pulisic, Long sees another teammate rising the ranks soon in Tyler Adams of RB Leipzig. Both were former teammates with the New York Red Bulls. But like Pulisic, Adams has had his share of injury woes as well. He did return to action at the end of last year and made his Champions League debut. He was part of the 3-0 win over Tottenham, a fitting gift that came just weeks after his 21st birthday, Goal.com reported.
