Chelsea head coach Graham Potter has said Christian Pulisic “needs to be ready” to start as he continues to fight for scant minutes at Stamford Bridge.
The 24-year-old fell out of favor under Thomas Tuchel and has not fared much better under Potter, with each manager handing the American just one start apiece this season.
Pulisic made the most of his start under Potter, scoring against Wolves on October 8 as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 win. But in the two subsequent matches, Pulisic hasn’t seen the field.
The USMNT will likely rely heavily on Pulisic at the World Cup starting next month, but Potter said he couldn’t be swayed by any external factors when making his lineup decisions.
“You can imagine my focus is on Chelsea,” Potter told reporters on Tuesday. “I understand that all the players have ambition and want to play for different reasons, for their families, careers or World Cups.”
“That’s all fine but it’s my job to select the right team for whatever game. [I’m] not saying I am right all the time, I am not, but somebody has got to make the call.”
Speaking about Pulisic specifically, Potter said the American’s attitude has been good despite his lack of game time, and that he is pushing to start more games.
“With Christian I would say he has been fantastic around the place, been really good with teammates, contributed against Wolverhampton Wanderers,” Potter said. “He is pushing for a place, pushing for a start. Things change quickly in football and he needs to be ready.”
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