Christian Pulisic’s World Cup isn’t over, but the United States is officially playing the waiting game with its biggest attacking star.

Pulisic has been dealing with a left calf injury after taking multiple knocks early in the tournament, forcing him out of the USMNT’s matchup with Australia. The good news?

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This doesn’t sound like a tournament-ending issue. The complicated part? The United States may not need to rush him back yet.

That’s where things get interesting.

The Americans have already punched their ticket to the knockout round, making the final Group D match against Turkey less about survival and more about strategy. Mauricio Pochettino now has a major decision to make: give Pulisic minutes to sharpen his rhythm, or keep him wrapped in bubble wrap until the games become do-or-die.

For a player as important as Pulisic, caution may win out.

The USMNT captain remains the face of the attack, the most dangerous player in transition and the one opponent nobody wants running at tired legs in the knockout stage. Even with the U.S. showing improved depth, including Ricardo Pepi earning trust after injury setbacks of his own, this team’s ceiling is still different when Pulisic is on the field.

That’s why the Turkey match feels like a trap. Yes, getting Pulisic back on the field would calm nerves. But aggravating a calf injury in a low-stakes group finale would be a brutal self-inflicted wound.

Pochettino’s squad has already done the hard part by advancing. Now the priority has to be health, rotation and making sure the best version of Pulisic is available when the World Cup truly tightens.

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So will Christian Pulisic return? Probably.

But the smarter question is whether the USMNT should wait one more game before unleashing him.