Christian Pulisic 's absence against Australia is a major talking point for the USMNT . The match could decide the leader of Group D, but Mauricio Pochettino must play it without his No. 10.
Pulisic aggravated a calf issue during the 4-1 win over Paraguay . Even while limited, he still produced an assist, two key passes and four successful dribbles before coming off at halftime, proving how valuable he is to Pochettino 's side.
That made the first-game decision a debate. The USMNT played him while he was not fully fit, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has now given his view on the risk.
Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
During FOX Sports' broadcast this Friday, Ibrahimovic said there was no need to risk Pulisic against Australia.
He backed how they handled the situation, saying: "No [there's no need to risk him], because if you plan to go as far as possible in the tournament, you need to use all the players. And especially if you have some small issues, you risk it in the first game, which was the important one. Go get those three points, and today you can play with it."
The Swedish superstar added: "But he will probably be ready for the third game. And if they can win today, they're already qualified. And then you save a player for the future of the tournament."
Pulisic will still be missed, but Pochettino has chosen an aggressive solution.
With Ricardo Pepi coming in alongside Folarin Balogun , the USMNT should have more penalty-box presence than usual.
According to Opta, Pepi and Balogun have shared the pitch for 187 minutes in their USMNT careers, with the U.S. scoring five goals in that time, which is an interesting sample.
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