"I hope they are responsible enough" - Thomas Tuchel hopes Chelsea star isn't 'overused' on international duty

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel admits he is worried about Christian Pulisic's fitness. Tuchel hopes the US Men's National Team don't 'overuse' Pulisic during the international break. The German tactician was asked if the winger was ready for international duty, to which he responded:

“The answer is if you look at the minutes like you said, the question is maybe answered. I hope that they don’t overuse him and are responsible enough.”

Pulisic injured his ankle in September and returned to competitive action only during the Blues' 1-0 victory over Malmo on November 2. He played 16 minutes off the bench in that game before playing five more minutes over the weekend against Burnley.

Tuchel added that despite the 23-year-old's best efforts to get back to full fitness, he still feels some pain.

“Christian still feels some pain. It is a matter of pain management. It’s not a matter of a re-injury or being still injured. It’s just still painful. He has tried hard,” the Chelsea boss said. “He wants desperately to come back. We needed him back. It was a good start for him in Malmo. Today he had 10 minutes [against Burnley]. We are a bit worried.”

Pulisic will feature in two World Cup qualifiers for the USMNT in the upcoming international break. The Stars and Stripes will take on Mexico on November 13 and Jamaica on November 17.

Chelsea boss Tuchel is hopeful that the situation will be handled responsibly by both Pulisic and the US national team to ensure he returns in good health. He said:

“Hopefully everybody, including himself, is responsible and doesn’t get carried away by emotions and by helping his country to win a super important match. Hopefully it all goes well and the minutes will elevate him and he will come back stronger.”

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Christian Pulisic has had an injury-ridden Chelsea career so far

Christian Pulisic joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019 on a deal worth around £58 million. Much was expected of Pulisic, who was viewed as a replacement of sorts for the departing Eden Hazard.

However, injuries have derailed the 23-year-old's time at Stamford Bridge. Prior to his most recent ankle injury, Pulisic missed Chelsea's fixtures against Arsenal and Liverpool after contracting the Coronavirus.

In his first campaign with the club, the American suffered a tear in the abductor muscle that kept him out for five months. Last season, Pulisic endured a hamstring injury that sidelined him for two months.

Consequently, the winger has made just 81 appearances for Chelsea since arriving in 2019. In that time, Pulisic has recorded 18 goals and 14 assists. Having recovered from his ankle injury, the 23-year-old will hope to properly launch his Chelsea career this season.