Revealed: Christian Pulisic didn't want to start for AC Milan as reason for USMNT star's surprise benching against Fiorentina comes to light

Milan named their starting XI for their Serie A clash against Fiorentina on Saturday, with the USMNT winger on the bench, replaced by Nigerian Samuel Chukwueze. Questions arose why the Rossoneri's second-leading scorer began on the sidelines, but boss Stefano Pioli clarified the situation pregame.

"I spoke to Christian yesterday, he told me that he had not entirely recovered from international duty, so he would prefer to play only a portion of the match," he told Sky Sport Italia. “Chukwueze is working well, he had a few difficulties settling in at the start, but he is a quality player. Fiorentina are a good team, very aggressive and intense, so we need to give our best.”

Pulisic played 210 minutes across two matches for the USMNT during the FIFA international break, helping them claim their third-straight CONCACAF Nations League title. Now, just six days after his heroic championship game performance, the winger revealed he doesn't feel 100 percent fit to play for Milan in their highly-anticipated Serie A clash against Fiorentina.

The Rossoneri take on Fiorentina Saturday afternoon, with a clash against Lecce next Saturday on the horizon. Then, it's a return to the Europa League with a match against fellow Italian side Roma.