AC Milan's difficult win against Slovan Bratislava highlighted the Rossoneri's struggle in defence. Another two goals conceded bring the Rossoneri's total to 21 goals allowed in the first 17 matches of this season, averaging 1.23 goals conceded per 90 minutes.
These are truly worrying numbers that Paulo Fonseca is, of course, not ignoring, though he is struggling significantly to find solutions.

Milan with too many changes...
As Tuttosport explains this morning, the Rossoneri head coach needs to bring stability to the defence, and one of the first steps is to settle on a starting central defensive pair, as there have been too many changes so far: Gabbia-Tomori in five games, Thiaw-Pavlovic in four matches, Tomori-Pavlovic in four appearances, Thiaw-Tomori in two, and Gabbia-Pavlovic and Thiaw-Gabbia in one each.
Looking at the numbers, the worst-performing duo is Tomori and Pavlovic, with an average of 2.25 goals conceded per game, while the most cohesive pairing is Gabbia and Tomori (five goals allowed in five matches).
Milan with an extra midfielder
The high number of goals conceded, however, isn’t just a matter of the center-backs: it’s a systemic issue involving the team’s overall defensive phase. Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders alone are not enough in midfield, so one solution could be adding another midfielder alongside them, such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Yunus Musah.
Ismael Bennacer is expected to return in a month, but it’s clear that the Algerian, dealing with his second major injury in recent years, won’t be enough on his own.
A new midfield signing will be needed in the January transfer window, as relayed via Milannews.it.
