Christian Pulisic has been handed a fresh Chelsea lifeline after he returned to the pitch on Tuesday against Borussia Dortmund. The American had gone two months without playing due to injury but picked the perfect time to get fit again, having the last laugh against his former employers at Stamford Bridge.
His season, much like his career in London, has been stop-start and largely frustrating but there is reason to be positive for the 24-year-old. Although he has been widely tipped to leave the club in the summer, with less than 18 months on his contract, there is still a chance for him to turn around his Premier League career.
Graham Potter, who took over from Thomas Tuchel in September, has given Pulisic five of his six league starts this season, with the USMNT winger only playing 156 of a possible 540 minutes under the German boss before he left the club. He was also getting into the swing of things before his last injury too.
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Pulisic had started three games in a row before the Manchester City game was ended early for him, his best run in the side in the league since last season. He hasn't started more than three consecutive matches since January 2021. He also now faces increased competition with several high-profile attackers coming in.
That didn't stop him being selected off the bench over Mykhailo Mudryk, though, and Potter's choice to omit Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rather than Pulisic from the Champions League squad is another indication that he is still a valued member of the squad despite his disruption and lack of goal output.
Plus, with two wins in a row for the first time since October - when Pulisic was playing - the atmosphere around the camp appears to be improving. It's a factor that can help the American to ressurect his Chelsea career, says former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas.
"It's not that he's the saviour of anything but maybe, to your point, timing is everything in life, including soccer," Lalas told his State of the Union Podcast. "So if he comes in and is associated with a remergence and improvement of the Chelsea team then who knows? Maybe he'll become best friends with Mr Potter going forward."
With four weeks and an international break between now and the quarter-finals of the Champions League, plus a favourable run of fixtures, Pulisic will be afforded the chance to push his back back into contention once more.
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