Milan face Lazio tomorrow night at San Siro. It is the thirteenth round of the league and the team needs to build on the important win in the Derby against Inter last Sunday. The match looks tough because the opponent is in good form and because Allegri has to deal with a familiar problem. Christian Pulisic will miss the match. This is a major setback because the numbers show the American is the most efficient player in the squad.
New opportunity
Two players are in line to replace him next to Rafael Leao, who is untouchable in the front pair. They are Christopher Nkunku and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Their profiles differ, starting from the role. Nkunku is an attacker, Loftus-Cheek is a midfielder. Early indications place the Frenchman ahead. Allegri seems ready to start with a more offensive structure. This would be a new chance for Nkunku. Until now he has produced only one goal in the Coppa Italia against Lecce and his performances have often fallen short of what many believe to be his potential, as pointed out by Milan News.
Trust from the club
The AC Milan management paid a total of 42 million euros including bonuses to bring him in from Chelsea last summer. The club backed the talent of a player who has been dormant for too long due to physical issues and limited minutes at Chelsea. The expectation at Casa Milan was to see a more complete player. Nkunku still needs to regain match rhythm and trust in his qualities. So far this season he has played nine matches in league and Coppa Italia, only three as a starter. He has scored the goal mentioned above and supplied an assist against Parma. The hope is that this new opportunity to start, with Pulisic and Gimenez unavailable, will be used well.
