USMNT star Christian Pulisic has been sidelined with a lower back injury, missing AC Milan's crucial Serie A clash against Atalanta on Sunday. The 27-year-old forward felt discomfort during Friday's training session, and by Sunday, the club determined the issue was too serious for him to even make the bench. Italian media reports indicate Pulisic will undergo medical tests on Monday to assess the severity of the injury.

This setback comes at a difficult time for the American playmaker, who is already enduring a career-worst goal drought. Pulisic hasn't found the back of the net in 17 consecutive league matches since December 28, and has also gone scoreless in his last eight appearances for the US national team. While he's a doubt for Milan's penultimate match against Genoa next weekend, there's optimism he could return for the season finale at home to Cagliari.

Milan's 3-2 home defeat to Atalanta—where they trailed 3-0 until the 88th minute—compounds the disappointment. The Rossoneri currently sit fourth in Serie A, level on points with fifth-place Roma and just two points above Como, putting their Champions League qualification hopes in jeopardy.

For USMNT fans, there's some relief: Pulisic is not considered a doubt for the upcoming World Cup. The Americans have friendlies against Senegal (May 31) and Germany (June 6) before kicking off Group D against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California. They'll face Australia a week later in Seattle and conclude group play against Turkey on June 25 at SoFi Stadium.

Stay tuned for updates on Pulisic's recovery—and in the meantime, gear up for World Cup season with our latest collection of USMNT-inspired apparel.