Tomorrow evening, Milan's home match against Red Star, with a kick-off at 21:00, is the first of three hurdles that the Rossoneri, on paper, can overcome easily in the Champions League to dream of finishing in the top eight and thus securing an automatic spot in the round of 16, without going through the intermediate play-offs. However, it's important to focus on one game at a time, especially as the Rossoneri team will face tomorrow's match without their best player of the season.
Milan aims for top 8
This morning, Corriere dello Sport took stock of what lies ahead for Fonseca's team in the final three matches of the Champions League group stage.
The Rossoneri, now 12 points behind the top of the league and 9 points from the Champions League spots, must focus on performing as well as possible in Europe, where they have been doing well despite their two initial defeats.
They are coming off three consecutive victories, each with at least three goals scored. Tomorrow's opponent is Red Star, then in late January, Girona, followed by Dinamo Zagreb. With three wins, Milan would reach 18 points, a total that, according to simulations, should guarantee a place in the top 8. However, they must stay vigilant and ensure that what is predicted on paper is reflected on the field after 90 minutes tomorrow.
Who will replace Christian Pulisic at Milan while he is injured?
Fonseca and his team will also be without Christian Pulisic, whose medical exams yesterday revealed a calf injury that will likely keep him out even until the Super Cup. Without their best player of the season, Fonseca must find a solution, and in recent days (including today, with the final training session), he has been working on how to replace the American. The most immediate move would be to place Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the attacking midfield role, with either Chukwueze or Musah on the right.
It is also possible, however, that the Portuguese coach may return to using two strikers, with Morata playing a bit deeper as a quasi-attacking midfielder, and Abraham taking on the role of the main striker. With this second setup, the American is favored on the right; in the first setup, the Nigerian is favoured.
