Christian Pulisic is hurt again, meaning he will miss more games for Chelsea FC. The whole thing would appear familiar to most considering the USMNT star has been struggling to keep himself healthy at Stamford Bridge.
With the frequency of his injuries, there are now some concerns on how sturdy the 22-year-old could be moving forward. Most know that players prone to injuries may lead teams to rethink their manner of use for them. In worst cases, it could even lead to a parting of ways.
But in the case of Pulisic, it would be foolish to think that the Blues are contemplating such. Rather than worry about that, Frank Lampard is working on something to give the American winger the right playing time without overexerting himself.
Christian Pulisic has been replaced by Timo Werner in Chelsea’s starting XI after picking up an injury in the warm-up pic.twitter.com/tBD9usM6VM — B/R Football (@brfootball) October 31, 2020
“Some players that do play on the edge and have such speed in their game and acceleration, maybe that could be more susceptible. I don’t think that’s a one-size-fits-all answer, because it is different for everybody," Lampard said.
"From last season, we were looking at ways of managing Christian and being proactive and hopefully not getting too many injuries."
Thankfully on his part, Pulisic has the luxury of time to make the necessary adjustments. A look at the injuries that the 22-year-old has gone through shows that most are not minor. Since joining Chelsea in 2019, he has missed 22 games already.
His last one was perhaps the most frustrating. It happened as he was warming up against Burnley. It was another hamstring injury he sustained, understandably something that left him frustrated. For now, all he can do is wait for the injury to heal and then hope that he returns at the right time.
Despite his streak of bad luck, USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter knows that Pulisic will eventually figure out that resistance level he needs. And with the American contracted with the Blues, he feels that the winger is in good hands.
“I believe he will get to this level of resistance where he stays fit. But building that up sometimes is challenging. That could be a phase he is in right now. I know they could use him," he said.
"I know he’s a fantastic player and it is great to see what he’s been doing, but he’s in good hands with the club and they are doing everything they can to get him on the field.”
