Christian Pulisic's Return: A Challenge for AC Milan's Star

Ruben Amorim doesn’t mind a frustrated star. In fact, he welcomes it.

Christian Pulisic has yet to play a single minute for AC Milan in the 2026-27 Serie A season, and the American’s irritation with that reality has already reached the head coach’s desk. For Amorim, that’s a good sign.

Speaking before Milan’s trip to Rome, the Portuguese coach made it clear that the long wait for “Captain America” is almost over.

“I think you guys are going to see Pulisic,” Amorim told reporters at his pre-match press conference on Friday. “I don’t know if he is going to start or he’s going to get on the pitch from the bench. I think he’s going to play at least a few minutes now and I like Pulisic. I really like him as a player. He’s upset because he’s had zero minutes so far, and I like that in my players.”

Pulisic’s absence has been enforced rather than tactical. The 27-year-old only returned to full training last month after suffering a micro-fracture and bone bruise in his right leg at the World Cup. The injury wiped out his pre-season and left him watching from the sidelines as Milan opened their campaign without him.

During that spell, the landscape on the left wing shifted.

Cisse seizes his chance

While Pulisic worked his way back, 19-year-old Alphadjo Cisse sprinted into the spotlight. The Italian youth international has turned the left flank into his personal stage, scoring twice and attacking defenders with a fearless, direct style that has electrified San Siro.

He has quickly become the breakout figure of Amorim’s early reign, the kind of academy-backed, high-energy winger a demanding fanbase can rally around. Every touch now comes with a murmur of expectation. Every run feels like a statement.

That surge has created a sharp, simple question: what happens when Pulisic is ready?

Amorim didn’t flinch.

“I won’t remove anyone who’s doing well just to name a player,” he said, his stance as clear as his words. “This is my way of managing the group, and I’ll die with these principles.”

No promises. No guarantees. Reputation will not walk straight back into the XI. Not while Cisse is flying.

A proven star waiting in the wings

Pulisic is not just another squad option. Since arriving from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 on a four-year deal, he has become a central figure in Milan’s attack.

Across all competitions, the USMNT winger has made 134 appearances for the Rossoneri, scoring 42 goals and providing 27 assists. He helped Milan lift the Supercoppa Italiana in the 2024-25 season and built a strong rapport with the San Siro crowd through decisive contributions in big moments.

His summer only added to the workload. Pulisic represented the United States at the World Cup, missing just the group-stage match against Australia because of injury. He played four games, recorded one assist, and then saw the USMNT fall in the round of 16 to Belgium. The tournament ended with that leg injury, and his club season started with a race against time.

Now he is fit, impatient, and staring at a very different battle: not just against defenders, but against a teenager who has used his absence to stake a serious claim.

A selection dilemma with an edge

This is the kind of internal competition top clubs crave. A proven international on one side, a fearless 19-year-old on the other, and a coach unwilling to bend for status.

For Pulisic, the path back is clear but unforgiving. Minutes are coming, Amorim has said as much. How many, and how quickly, will depend on what he does with them — and on whether Cisse keeps turning chances into headlines.

One thing is certain: when “Captain America” finally steps back onto the pitch for Milan, he will be stepping into a fight he cannot afford to lose.