Americans Abroad: Christian Pulisic eyes AC Milan return as Chris Richards aims to get Crystal Palace back on track

Just under a month after suffering an injury on international duty against Australia, Christian Pulisic is back in training and appears set to feature against Parma. The 27-year-old is unlikely to start, with La Gazzetta dello Sport reporting he could come on during the final hour. Whether Pulisic plays an hour or just 15 minutes, it’s a positive development for both club and country - even if he wasn’t named in the November USMNT squad. Early reports of his injury had raised concern, so a few weeks on the sidelines rather than months is an encouraging outcome. AC Milan manager Max Allegri confirmed Pulisic is available Friday afternoon. 

"We've got Pulisic back, who is doing well and available to play," Allegri said.

The Italian outlet also reported multiple factors behind both Pulisic’s USMNT absence and AC Milan’s decision to play him this weekend. Gazzetta noted that the Derby della Madonnina on Nov. 23 - always a top priority for the club - played a role in managing his recovery. Pulisic has been Milan’s standout performer this season, recording four goals and two assists in six league matches. In his absence, Milan have won just one of their last four outings, including a disappointing draw against Pisa. Saturday’s clash with 16th-placed Parma offers Allegri a chance to experiment with tactics and assess available options ahead of the derby.

The report also mentioned that Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani personally negotiated with U.S. Soccer to allow Pulisic to skip November’s matches and regain full fitness - shedding light on why he stayed in Italy.

Still, Benjamin Cremaschi’s Parma may not accept being treated like a tune-up opponent. The club has just one win this season and sits a point above the drop zone. The 19-year-old American, who has logged only 14 minutes since joining from Inter Miami, will be eager for more playing time. With Parma scoring just five goals this campaign - the same total Cremaschi tallied at the U-20 World Cup - there’s reason to believe his opportunity could come soon.

Cardoso returned to Atlético Madrid’s matchday squad on Nov. 1 following a lengthy injury spell but has yet to feature in either of the club’s two matches this month - comfortable wins over Seville and Union SG. The midfielder’s return coincided with a productive stretch for Atlético, which scored six goals in those fixtures, but he remains without minutes since recovering. Cardoso joined from Real Betis in a $34.8 million transfer earlier this year.

Last season, Cardoso was among La Liga’s most consistent central midfielders, helping Betis reach the Europa Conference League final. Expectations were high upon his arrival in Madrid, but he struggled to find form before his injury, and Atlético’s performances have improved in his absence. With the World Cup on the horizon, regular playing time will be important for the American international to reestablish his rhythm.

Atlético face 16th-place Levante this weekend following their midweek Champions League fixture and are expected to rotate. That could open the door for Cardoso’s return to action. If he remains on the bench, questions about his role moving forward - and the possibility of a loan in January - may start to surface.

It wasn’t long ago that Richards’ Crystal Palace were among the early stories of the Premier League season. Back in September, the Eagles were in a Champions League position after a 2-1 win over then-league leaders Liverpool.

Since then, Palace have recorded just one league victory - a Nov. 1 result over Brentford. Defending has been the key difference. During the club’s strong start, Palace conceded two goals and posted two clean sheets across the opening four matches, averaging 0.50 goals against per game. Since October, that number has risen to 1.50. Expected goals against per 90 minutes (xGA/90) has remained largely consistent, shifting only slightly from 1.28 to 1.47.

The trend points to a broader issue: depth. Last season, Palace maintained one of the league’s more stable defenses in part because they had fewer fixtures. This year, competing in Europe has stretched the squad, which added limited reinforcements after several summer departures.

Manager Oliver Glasner recently expressed frustration with U.S. Soccer for not accommodating his request to rest Richards, who has been managing a minor injury. Richards was later left out of the USMNT’s November squad, despite being one of the team’s top defenders. The center back has continued to play regularly for Palace, logging 90 minutes in each of the club’s four matches since the last international break.

Palace host a resurgent Brighton side this weekend. The Seagulls, who struggled early after key offseason departures, have climbed back into form. Former Inter Miami winger Diego Gómez has contributed to that resurgence, scoring twice against Leeds last week. Brighton sit one point behind Palace in 10th place.

Palace can move as high as fourth depending on other results. Maintaining that momentum will depend on whether Richards can continue to perform through a busy stretch.

Like Pulisic, Malik Tillman suffered an injury during the last international break but returned to action this week in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica.

Tillman’s start at his new Bundesliga club has been uneven. The manager who helped recruit him, Erik ten Hag, was dismissed after three matches, and the attacking midfielder has since worked to find his place under new coach Kasper Hjulmand. Before his injury, Tillman produced one of his stronger recent performances during the United States’ friendly against Ecuador, assisting Folarin Balogun on the game-tying goal.

Tillman came off the bench against Benfica and played 34 minutes. With Leverkusen facing last-place 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday, he could be in line for more time. The 23-year-old has scored two goals in the Bundesliga this season after netting 12 for PSV Eindhoven last year.