Christian Pulisic headed into the international break in impeccable form, but how much he'll play during that time remains in question.
The Chelsea attacker scored in his third straight English Premier League match Saturday, clinching the Blues' 2-0 win over London rivals Crystal Palace with his 79th-minute goal.
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But Chelsea manager Frank Lampard substituted Pulisic one minute later, revealing after the match that the United States Men's National Team star injured his hip on his goal.
The USMNT plays its final two games of 2019 during next week's international break, concluding the group stage of the CONCACAF Nations League. The Americans sit second in their group, and face an uphill climb to advance to the semifinals of the tournament -- with or without their best player.
Chelsea won't mind if Pulisic rests next week, considering how well he has played since the start of October. Pulisic did not start a Premier League match in September, only starting a League Cup tie against fourth-division Grimsby Town. Lampard handed Pulisic his first league start in two months on Oct. 26, and the American responded with his first career hat trick.
Pulisic has started every match in all competitions for Chelsea since then, scoring five goals and assisting once. He became the fourth American player in league history to score in three consecutive matches.
The 21-year-old arguably is in the best form of his career, and the USMNT will miss him if he's not fit next week.