U.S. men’s national team legends Tim Howard and Landon Donovan said AC Milan’s frustrated response to Christian Pulisic’s injury was “crazy” and “ridiculous”.
The USMNT superstar suffered a low-grade right hamstring tear against Australia during the October international break. Pulisic had been dealing with an ankle injury earlier in camp resigning him to a 20-minute cameo against Ecuador. After being deemed fit to play against the Socceroos, Pulisic lasted only 28 minutes before being replaced by Diego Luna.
Milan reportedly were unhappy with how the USMNT handled Pulisic, prompting a response from both Howard and Donovan on their Unfiltered Soccer podcast.
“Every game for the U.S. matters. They don’t have World Cup qualifying. So actually this was essentially a World Cup qualifier for us. It was an opportunity to get our team together and to fight for points,” Howard said.
“I think it’s crazy for Milan to suggest that he shouldn’t have played.”
Donovan also added the complaints were “ridiculous”.
Howard Worried Pulisic Injury Affects November Call-Up Chances
A concerning fight might emerge between the USMNT and Rossoneri come November in Howard’s eyes.
“This can’t happen to the U.S. where [Pulisic] gets himself fit a week and a half or two weeks before the next international break, he plays for Milan, and he’s fit. And then they will say, ‘Yeah well he can’t go to the November internationals.’ That’s crazy talk,” Howard said.
Donovan added he hopes Pulisic doesn’t regret representing his country in October given what transpired: “I hope that’s not the case. There was so much value in these two games for the team as a whole, and I hope he’s able to see that.”
Donovan previously clashed with Pulisic over the latter’s decision to pull out of the Concacaf Gold Cup over the summer. Pulisic prioritized rest and recovery after the club season, prompting Donovan to call out his commitment to the national team.
Donovan’s words prompted a fiery response from Pulisic.
“You can talk about my performances, whatever you want, but to question my commitment, especially to the national team, in my opinion that’s way out of line. But you know how it is. People forget really quickly,” the player said.
The USMNT are back in action on Nov. 15 and Nov. 18 against Paraguay and Uruguay respectively in international friendlies. The USMNT do not have competitive matches remaining before the 2026 FIFA World Cup on American soil.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT Legends Criticize AC Milan Response to Christian Pulisic Injury.