PREMIER - Tuchel on Pulisic: ''I hope that they don’t overuse him''

Christian Pulisic was one of only ten players in attendance for the United States' first day of training ahead of Friday's World Cup qualifier against Mexico, and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel advised caution with the forward as he regained fitness.

Pulisic hurt his left ankle in a qualifier in Honduras on Sept. 8. He didn't play again until November 2, when he came off the bench for the final 17 minutes of Chelsea's Champions League encounter against Malmö. Pulisic came in in the final six minutes of Burnley's Premier League match on Saturday.

"I hope that they don’t overuse him, that they are responsible enough,” Tuchel said after Saturday's game.

“Christian still feels a bit of pain. He absolutely wants to come back. It's a matter of pain management. It’s not a matter of a re-injury or being still injured, it’s just that it's still painful. But he tried hard and he wanted desperately to come back and we needed him back, so it was a good start for him in Malmö, and today we had some 10 minutes. But, yeah, we are a bit worried.

“Hopefully everybody and he, himself, is responsible and does not get carried away by emotions and by helping, of course, his country to win a super-important match. So hopefully all goes well and hopefully the minutes will elevate him, that he comes back stronger.”