LONDON—American soccer has never known a 21-year-old quite as polished—or quite as expensive—as Christian Pulisic. When he signed with Chelsea in January for $73 million, he more than doubled the record transfer fee for a player from the U.S. His move to the Premier League was the leap that everyone had always sensed was coming.

The biggest remaining question was, where would he play?

At his previous club, Borussia Dortmund in Germany, Pulisic had spent most of his time on the wing and, in his final season there, on the bench. Now at Chelsea, it turns out, the star of the U.S. national team is in the exact same spot.

For all the attention lavished upon him in the early Premier League season, Pulisic has started just three of Chelsea’s five competitive games. And for the past two, he has been an unused substitute. Pulisic might be the American soccer exception for honing his skills in Europe at a young age. But right now, only American soccer feels that makes him exceptional.

Asked about Pulisic’s omission, manager Frank Lampard said, “He’s in the plans. We’ve got a squad, we’ve got wingers to choose from.”