AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao claims reported rift with USMNT Christian Pulisic built on 'lies,' defends decision to substitute star in UCL loss to Feyenoord

U.S. international Christian Pulisic is reportedly not 100 percent match fit for AC Milan, per manager Sergio Conceicao.

The American suffered a muscle issue in January that saw him miss a Jan. 18 match against Juventus, and he's been used cautiously since in Serie A action, with two starts and two appearances off the bench since.

Milan exited the UEFA Champions League this past week in disappointing fashion after a two-legged defeat to Dutch side Feyenoord. Conceicao started Pulisic in both matches but subbed him off the pitch earlier than expected both times. Speaking ahead of the Rossoneri's weekend match against Torino on Friday, he shared fitness updates regarding his squad, including sharing that Pulisic is not fit to play 90 minutes.

“[Kyle] Walker is unavailable. Pulisic doesn’t have 90 minutes in his legs, [Santiago] Giménez is improving every day but is not yet at the level we want him to be," Conceicao said at a news conference. "We are working on it. At least for the style of play I want, he needs to be intense for the full 90 minutes.

“I found some players struggling in this regard, as well as some injuries. Playing every three days, always in decisive matches - because here, if you draw, it’s like losing - always being on the edge, it’s not easy to manage.”

After the Rossoneri's midweek exit in European competitions, reports surfaced that Pulisic was unhappy with the Portuguese manager, and that after the match a feud developed between the two. However, Pulisic denied the reports, and now Conceicao has doubled-down on the American's comments, claiming the various reports to be "lies."

“I keep reading lies and lies in the press," Conceicao said. "I don’t like this. I am in front of you every three or four days. If you have any doubts I'll tell you, I am upfront. Lies hurt, players today are active in social media. It is not easy to manage the group with also things to improve on the pitch. Sometimes I also have to manage things that do not belong to me, but it is my group and I have to manage it. Only with my group in the best conditions can I win.”

In Serie A competition, Pulisic has six goals and six assists for Milan, while across all competitions, he has 17 total goal-contributions for the Italian club in the 2024-25 season.

The Rossoneri clash with Torino this weekend in Serie A action.