GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, with Pulisic bounce back and 'great player' McKennie facing big test

If there were any doubts as to how valuable Weston Mckennie is for Juventus, manager Thiago Motta swiftly did away with them earlier this week.

"Weston is special, he is a great player, a great guy," he told Italian media. "He has played fullback, holding midfielder, attacking midfielder, winger. He's a top-level player. When I say that a top-level player can play everywhere, it’s because I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been in football for many years. When you ask where players should play, it’s not something that concerns me."

His words run counter to some of the assumptions made about McKennie's role at Juventus over the past two years. For some time now, he has been a plug-and-play option, able to slot in at numerous positions, but never able to hold one down. For Motta, it seems, the opposite is true. McKennie can play anywhere. It's just a matter of getting him into the side. Yes, he is reliable.

It is a good thing, too, because it has been an otherwise unsteady period for Americans in Europe. Christian Pulisic was masterful in Serie A off the bench last week, but then woeful in the Champions League. There are injuries to contend with everywhere, while Brenden Aaronson is fighting for form after a slow start. There is good news to be found, at least, in the consistency of Antonee Robinson, who remains excellent at left back for Fulham. If only the Cottagers could score some goals.

Either way, it should be an intriguing set of matches for Americans in Europe. GOAL looks ahead at some of the biggest storylines to follow among Americans Abroad this weekend.

AFPChristian Pulisic searches for consistency

Pulisic is slipping back into a familiar pattern. For so long the conversation around the American national is whether he could find consistency. Yes, there would be elite performances – but too often punctuated by spells of mediocrity. It is, in fact what has made him so impressive this season; there have been few off-days for the American.

He couldn't have picked a worse time to have one midweek. Milan were wasteful against Feyenoord Wednesday, and lost 1-0 on the road in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 playoff clash. Pulisic was hooked in the second half, and could have few complaints. It raised some uncomfortable questions that might just stick around.

Can he play alongside the mercurial Joao Felix? Is there room for Rafa Leao in the mix, too? It is one thing to have a slew of elite attacking footballers. It is another to ensure that they can all play off each other.

But Pulisic should have enough credit in the bank to prove that he can make this all work. After all, he leads Milan in goal contributions this season. Surely that will be enough to earn "star man" status. Verona on Saturday will be another opportunity to do just that. Serie A has been a confusing thing for Milan this season. They are in seventh, but could put pressure on sixth-place Fiorentina with a win.

Every game feels massive at this point. Pulisic will be key to their European hopes once again.

AdvertisementAFPA massive day for McKennie and Juventus

So, McKennie was supposed to be a utility player after all. There were fears that this multi-talented footballer was simply not good enough to hold down one position. In reality, he's too valuable – and too versatile – to stick to one spot. That, of course, can be a little mixed. After all, it tends to be a good thing for a footballer to be able to hone his raft in one spot.

But on the other hand, all minutes are good minutes. Juve seem to subscribe to the latter train of thought, and there is scattered chatter that the midfielder might be offered a new deal for the Italian club. That would seem to be a prudent move for the American – especially if minutes are guaranteed. Quality notwithstanding, the immediate focus should be on football.

And there's a massive one to deal with on Sunday. Juve are hosting Inter in what could be a crucial fixture in the scope of their season. Inter are in second, one point behind Napoli, and needing three points to hunt down Antonio Conte's side. Juve, meanwhile, are two points out of a Champions League spot. A draw here really isn't good enough for either side (which makes a change for Juve).

Tim Weah, too, will have a role to play here after a solid run of form. Taking points off a rival and title favorite – while also making a European push – wouldn't make for a bad afternoon.

Getty Images SportRobinson, Fulham to spoil the Forest party

Let's give credit to Nottingham Forest here. They weren't supposed to sniff the top half of the Premier League table. Yet there they are, closer to dislodging Liverpool atop the league than slipping into the relegation zone. There will probably be a fall off. Yes, Forest are organized and full of quality, but it seems unlikely that they can maintain their momentum throughout the season.

And so arrive Fulham, an equally confusing side. Marco Silva has the Cottagers playing some truly lovely stuff at times, but they lack cutting edge at times. Throw in a proper No. 9, and they might be pushing for Europe. Instead, the most interesting thing about this side is an ever-improving left-back who wears USMNT colors.

Robinson has been consistently excellent for the Cottagers this season, elite at both ends of the pitch, and showing that he really deserves to be playing European football. His 10 assists put him within touching distance of Trent Alexander Arnold's record of 13, set in 2019. Forest will present a tough challenge, though. They put seven past Brighton in their last Premier League fixture, and are full of attacking quality.

The focus here will likely be stopping the dangerous Morgan Gibbs-White, who picks up all sorts of dangerous positions in the left channel. Keep him quiet, and exploit the admittedly weaker right side of Forest's defense, and Robinson could be key to a big win.

Getty Images SportInjuries, injuries and more injuries

Ricardo Pepi was in the midst of an excellent season for PSV when he went off with a pretty inconspicuous knock against Liverpool in the Champions League in early January. At the time, he was still being linked with a January move to the Premier League. The next step, it seemed, had arrived. Instead, it was revealed that the striker had sustained a serious knee injury that required surgery – and could see him out for the season.

The same can be said of Malik Tillman, who had surgery of his own and faces a race against time to be fit for the title run in. Folarin Balogun, too, is still out with a shoulder issue. At present, the USMNT's only fit reliable striker is Josh Sargent – and even he is recovering from a muscle problem.