Without European competitions and with only one match per week, Milan decided to give Massimiliano Allegri a rather small squad.
Everything was fine while everyone was available, but now five players are out injured (Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, Ardon Jashari, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Pervis Estupinan), and problems have begun for the ex Juventus coach, who now has few options. It’s no coincidence that Milan have made the fewest substitutions in Serie A so far.
After the 2–2 draw against Pisa, Allegri said after the match: "If the lack of victory was also due to the absence of Rabiot and Pulisic? Absolutely not. It’s a matter of how many players you have available for substitutions." According to Tuttosport, that’s Milan’s current problem. A few injuries were enough to put the coach in trouble, given he only has 19 outfield players in his squad. Right now, the thinnest area is the midfield, where only three players are available: Luka Modric, Youssouf Fofana, and Samuele Ricci.
On Tuesday night, the Rossoneri will face Atalanta away, and barring miracles, no one should return for this game, not even Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Pervis Estupinan, who on paper are the closest to coming back. We’ll see if training at Milanello this morning brings updates on the midfielder and the winger, but the chances of them being available to Allegri are slim. So, for the third straight match, the Milan coach will have a very short bench and few alternatives.
