Pulisic Back in Training After Frustrating World Cup

United States men's national team forward Christian Pulisic was reintegrated into first-team training at AC Milan on Tuesday for the first time since suffering an injury at the World Cup, marking a significant step in his recovery ahead of the new Serie A campaign.

The 27-year-old suffered a micro-fracture and bone bruise in his right leg during the United States' 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the round of 16 on July 7. Pulisic attempted to play through the injury in the second half of the Belgium match but was ultimately substituted just before the hour-mark of the heavy loss.

He was expected to be sidelined for several weeks and has been recovering while Milan's new coach Ruben Amorim oversaw pre-season preparations. His return to full training comes just days before Milan travel to face Torino on Sunday as the new Serie A season gets underway.

A Tournament to Forget

The World Cup capped a deeply frustrating tournament for Pulisic, who endured multiple injury setbacks across the competition. He was withdrawn at half-time of the 4-1 opening win over Paraguay with a calf injury and failed to score in any of his four appearances at the finals.

"With one earlier and then another injury now, it just sucked. It was tough. It was difficult for me to deal with," Pulisic said after the loss to Belgium.

The Belgium defeat was also notable for the involvement of Folarin Balogun, who featured after FIFA, the world governing body, overturned his suspension.

Club Form a Concern

Pulisic scored 10 times in all competitions for Milan last season but did not manage a single goal after the turn of the year, a drought that will be of concern as he looks to rediscover his best form under Amorim's stewardship. The Portuguese coach, who arrived at the San Siro in the summer, will be hoping Pulisic can shake off the physical and mental toll of a difficult summer and hit the ground running as Milan aim to mount a serious Serie A title challenge.