Amorim Embraces Pulisic’s Frustration in Milan Battle

Rúben Amorim wants Christian Pulisic annoyed. And right now, the AC Milan coach has exactly that.

The American winger has not played a single minute in the opening three games of the 2026-27 Serie A season, stuck on the sidelines after only recently returning to full training. A micro-fracture and bone bruise in his right leg, suffered at the World Cup, stalled his summer and handed others a chance.

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

“I think you guys are going to see Pulisic,” he told reporters 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.”

That frustration is set against a very different Milan from the one Pulisic left at the end of last season. The internal competition on the wings has sharpened. The left flank, in particular, has become one of the most ruthless battlegrounds in Amorim’s squad.

In Pulisic’s absence, 19-year-old Alphadjo Cisse has ripped the door off its hinges.

The Italian youth international has seized his opportunity, scoring twice and attacking defenders with a fearless, direct style that has electrified San Siro. The crowd has quickly taken to him; the teenager has become the early breakout story of Amorim’s reign.

And Amorim is not about to reward reputation over form.

Asked how he plans to juggle Cisse and Pulisic for the same starting spot, the Milan boss did not soften his stance.

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

It is a clear message to the dressing room and to Pulisic himself: no guarantees, no shortcuts.

Pulisic, though, arrives with a substantial body of work behind him in red and black. Since joining Milan in the summer of 2023 on a four-year deal, the USMNT star has made 134 appearances in all competitions. He has produced 42 goals and 27 assists, numbers that underline his importance during a cycle that included lifting the Supercoppa Italiana in the 2024-25 campaign.

His summer was anything but quiet. With the United States at the World Cup, he missed only the group-stage match against Australia through injury and still managed to feature in four games, adding one assist before the USMNT went out in the round of 16 to Belgium.

Now he returns to Milan as both proven leader and immediate challenger.

A homegrown sensation is flying. A senior international is itching to reclaim his place. Amorim, unflinching, is happy to let the tension simmer.

The question is no longer whether Pulisic will play. It’s how long it will take before this battle on the left becomes one of the defining storylines of Milan’s season.