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United States captain Christian Pulisic walks off the field after aggravating a left calf injury during the second half of the Americans' 4-1 World Cup victory over Paraguay, raising questions about his availability for Friday's Group D match against Australia.

The United States men’s national team’s biggest question entering Friday’s critical World Cup showdown against Australia remains unanswered: Will Christian Pulisic play?

The USMNT captain continued to train separately from his teammates Thursday, casting uncertainty over his availability for the Americans’ second Group D match.

According to ESPN, Pulisic arrived at practice with a wrap around his injured left calf, joined teammates for a pre-training huddle and then headed to the gym with performance and medical staff rather than participating in full-team training.

The latest development leaves the 27-year-old attacker officially day-to-day with less than 24 hours before kickoff.

Christian Pulisic’s Injury Timeline

Pulisic first suffered the calf injury during training last week. He attempted to play through it in the United States’ World Cup opener against Paraguay but aggravated the issue and was substituted at halftime of the Americans’ 4-1 victory.

Reports later revealed that Pulisic had also absorbed a kick to the back of his left calf during the match, further complicating his recovery.

Wednesday offered some encouragement. Pulisic returned to the training field for individual work and performed running drills, representing his first on-field activity since the setback.

Thursday, however, provided no definitive answers.

Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft reported that Pulisic remains day-to-day and has not resumed full training with the squad.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino was expected to provide an update on his captain’s status during his Thursday evening news conference.

USMNT Needs Pulisic at His Best

The uncertainty surrounding Pulisic’s health comes at a particularly delicate moment for the Americans.

A victory over Australia would significantly improve the United States’ chances of advancing from Group D before its final group-stage match.

Former USMNT coach Bob Bradley recently explained why Pulisic’s versatility remains so vital to the American attack.

“When Pulisic has the freedom to play both inside and outside, that’s when we see his best football,” Bradley said on Colin Cowherd’s “The Herd.”

“Then he can get some balls to feed outside, and his ability to dribble, and when he dribbles inside on the field, that causes problems for the other team.”

Pulisic’s ability to interchange positions, attack defenders one-on-one and create scoring opportunities has made him the focal point of the U.S. attack for nearly a decade.

Potential Replacements if Pulisic Cannot Play

Even as uncertainty lingers, optimism remains inside the American camp.

Midfielder Weston McKennie said Thursday that Pulisic is doing everything possible to return.

“I know he really wants to be and he’s doing everything that he can and the staff is doing everything that they can as well,” McKennie told reporters.

Should Pulisic ultimately be unavailable, Pochettino has several attacking options.

Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Giovanni Reyna strengthened his case after scoring against Paraguay. América winger Alejandro Zendejas, Marseille attacker Timothy Weah and Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson also could see expanded roles.

None, however, can fully replicate what Pulisic brings.

For now, the United States appears to be taking a cautious approach with its biggest star, balancing the urgency of Friday’s match against the long-term importance of having a healthy Pulisic for the remainder of the World Cup.

Whether the Americans have their captain on the field against Australia may not be known until shortly before kickoff.