Milan play tomorrow. It may sound strange, and for some who care little about the national team, it might even be a relief, even though the Rossoneri taking the field in the morning will be a reduced squad playing a simple friendly. At 11:30 AM CET. at the Milanello Sports Center, behind closed doors for the occasion, Massimiliano Allegri’s team will host Virtus Entella, a newly promoted Serie B side coached by Andrea Chiappella. What’s the purpose of a friendly during the international break? Let’s try to answer that.
Who benefits?
Breaking every writing rule, let’s correct the question right away: it’s not so much “what’s the purpose” as "who benefits" from tomorrow’s friendly. Even though Milanello, as usual during breaks, has emptied out, this time Allegri still has a decent number of outfield players available. That’s no coincidence: many of them have just come back from injuries or are still regaining fitness. Alongside those not called up for international duty, there are players who will use these days to get back in top shape. For players like Christian Pulisic and Pervis Estupiñán, who already featured against Parma, or Ardon Jashari, who returned to the squad but hasn’t yet played, getting minutes is crucial. Add to that Loftus-Cheek and Tomori, who haven’t been at their best recently, plus Fofana and Terracciano, who are not involved with their national teams.
Back to work at Milan:
It’s a good chance to help key absentees regain rhythm and keep others sharp who aren’t on international duty. This fits into the broader plan preparing Milan for the derby against Inter, scheduled for Sunday the 23rd at 20:45 after the break. Tomorrow’s friendly against Entella (broadcast live on Milan TV, the official app, and YouTube, with live text updates on MilanNews.it) will be followed by three days off. Training at Milanello will resume on Tuesday, when the first internationals return. In the meantime, Allegri hopes to recover Adrien Rabiot and Santiago Gimenez. The Frenchman and the Mexican are working separately and will continue over the weekend, aiming to be fit enough for a spot on the bench in the big match against Inter, as relayed via Milan News.
