U.S. men’s national team star Christian Pulisic is set to miss the next few months after sustaining a knee injury.
Earlier this week, manager Graham Potter said the forward would likely miss weeks, but the coach updated the diagnosis on Wednesday.
“Christian’s going to be out for a couple of months we think,” Potter said in his prematch press conference. “Hopefully it will be less, but that’s the timeframe there.”
Pulisic was taken off midway through the first half of Thursday’s Premier League loss to Manchester City when he sustained the injury during a challenge from defender John Stones.
The injury most likely puts an end to the transfer speculation surrounding Pulisic during the winter window, with Newcastle United and Manchester United both previously linked to a loan move for the 24-year-old.
Pulisic got off to a slow start this season with a goal and assist across 16 league matches. Prior to leaving for the World Cup, he had made only three league starts for Chelsea, but started each of the last three matches since the Premier League restart.
Chelsea also lost winger Raheem Sterling to injury at the start of the City game and has dealt with a flurry of injury problems this season. However, the club did add some reinforcements during the transfer window, securing a loan move for Atlético Madrid forward João Félix on Wednesday.
The club currently sits 10th in the Premier League table, 10 points behind a top-four spot, and has been eliminated from both the League Cup and FA Cup.
