The Rossoneri coach’s choices for the match against Fiorentina: the Portuguese and the Croatian initially out. Small alarm for Rabiot, Ricci heats up. Changes also on the flanks: it’s Estupinan’s turn
Stopped by Genoa at San Siro in the last round of the championship, Milan must immediately return to being great and to scare Fiorentina (“small” or “big”, depending on whether you look at the ranking or the team’s values) they put on the muscles of Füllkrug and Loftus-Cheek. The new team does not foresee the use of Leao, not at his best and limited in his shots, nor of Fofana, thus ending a paradoxical week. Yesterday, on his twenty-seventh birthday, he received the team’s best wishes and a public message from Allegri, who defended him from criticism after the sensational missed goal last Thursday. Max redesigns his Milan: in the past he had changed when required by necessity, including injuries and suspensions. This time the need is to manage resources, because the calendar of commitments remains busy and this afternoon’s match is the third match in a week. There’s more: just 64 hours will pass between Genoa and Fiorentina. Few for everyone, even for FIFA which is in fact studying a change to the universal regulation: allowing at least three days to pass between one match and another.
in the middle of
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There was very little time to recover and study the new moves: but turnover is a necessity, especially for the players most used up to now. Among these is Modric, eighteen out of eighteen games as a starter (Milan have the recovery in Como in another four days) and 1571 minutes of the championship so far. On only three occasions he did not reach the 90th minute, the last against Verona, coming off when the team was already three goals ahead. “Luka will be on the bench” announces Max, who will seat Jashari in the director’s chair: “He’s back from an injury but will have a bright future.” In the middle there could be further news: in the last training session a warning light came on regarding Rabiot’s condition, not at his best. However, there is no need to intervene, at least not yet. Already in the morning Adrien could make his availability by managing the problem without having to stop. Otherwise Ricci is ready, and Allegri polishes him: “He has played 1000 minutes, he is a very reliable player and has always made himself very useful”. The non-optimal shape instead stopped Leao: the case is different, as are the technical characteristics. Rafa needs his sprint and if physical ailments limit his running it’s a problem: Leao at reduced speed is not the real Leao. “He’s better but he’s not 100% yet.” Meanwhile, in the afternoon, Füllkrug will team up with Pulisic: for the new 9 it will be his debut as a starter after a couple of good substitutions, against Cagliari and Genoa, in terms of spirit and participation in the game. His last match as a starter is on 4 October 2025 on the Arsenal pitch and with the West Ham shirt.
on guard
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Changes also in the other departments: De Winter for the disqualified Tomori, Estupinan for Bartesaghi, still not used to series commitments. The four-man defense, tested in training, is not the solution with the greatest chance of being implemented.
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