Christian Pulisic does not feature in the United States’ World Cup match against Australia after being left out of the matchday squad with a calf injury. Multiple reports say he came off at halftime of the U.S. team’s opening 4-1 win over Paraguay and subsequently trained separately or in modified sessions. The injury is described as lingering, with the U.S. and coach Mauricio Pochettino indicating they are assessing his availability close to kickoff. Metro, CBS Sports and The Athletic report that Pochettino says Pulisic’s condition is evolving and that medical staff evaluate his status before the game, though he ultimately is not available for this fixture.

With Pulisic unavailable, Ricardo Pepi comes in as his replacement in the lineup reported by Metro and reflected across coverage. The U.S. are positioned at the top of Group D after their opening win and can secure a knockout-place berth with a result against Australia. Pulisic is expected to be assessed for later group matches, including the final group-stage game against Turkey.