Christian Pulisic playing in USMNTs next World Cup game is imperative but should come with a caveat

IRVINE, Calif.— Number 10 is back and ready to play.Here’s hoping he does.The final training session before the final World Cup Group D match for the U.S.

was several minutes from starting Wednesday when Christian Pulisic was made available to reporters off to the side of the practice pitch.“I think I already know what the first question is going to be,’’ Pulisic joked.“I feel good.

I joined the team [practicing] the last couple days, and yeah, I’m hoping to play a part in tomorrow for sure.’’Those were the magic words all USMNT fans and followers wanted to hear from their star striker who injured his left calf in the opening match against Paraguay and missed the second game, against Australia.Hopefully, manager Mauricio Pochettino does the right thing and plays Pulisic — at least for 20-30 minutes against Turkey on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium — so he can get his legs back under him in game conditions for the first time since the injury occurred June 12.If Pochettino keeps his star striker in Bubble Wrap and does not play him Thursday, it would be a mistake and it would be sending the wrong message to the rest of his team.Because, to a man Wednesday, the U.S.players talked about the desire to keep the mojo from the first two World Cup matches — a 4-1 win over Paraguay and a 2-0 result against Australia — going as they power on to the first knockout round.“We’ve got a team full of guys who have a winner’s mentality,’’ defender Mark McKenzie said.

“Nobody steps into a tournament wanting to lose any game.We’ve had two strong collective performances in the first two games, and to end the group stage on our note, in our way, I think that’s probably our biggest message.“It’s the same as we’ve been approaching every game, because the group stage is not done yet,’’ McKenzie added when asked about the approach for a match with no consequence in the group standings.

“We want to end it the right way — the way we ca...