Injuries and poor condition after missing a large part of summer preparation keep Milan’s attack in constant flux. Allegri thought he had finally found his starting pair, Leao and Pulisic, during the derby, the duo he had in mind at the end of August when he committed to the 3-5-2. Tomorrow against Lazio he must change again.
The discomfort in Pulisic’s thigh on Wednesday morning will almost surely force the American to watch the match from the stands. Pulisic reported the issue to the medical staff, and although scans ruled out damage, he did not train with the group. Allegri said, "anything can happen in the next two days, but he will be unlikely to feature."
The player is frustrated because, after a long stop and his return as a starter with the decisive derby goal, he does not want another pause. He would like to push again today, but Allegri and his staff plan to avoid risks in a heavy end to 2025 with Coppa Italia round of 16 and Supercoppa Final Four. They prefer caution to the scenario of losing him until 2026. Pulisic already stopped during the October break with a right hamstring injury and the affected thigh is the same. So against Sarri’s side he heads toward the stands. Whether he returns on Thursday in Rome for the Coppa Italia remains unknown.
AC Milan's Santiago Gimenez will also miss the Lazio match.
In fact, the Mexican striker posted photos on Instagram showing solo work to stabilize his ankle. He has not rejoined training. Leao stays as the fixed point, and the choice next to him will be between Nkunku and Loftus-Cheek, who would adapt as a support striker.
Leao and Nkunku already started together twice, against Roma in a home win and in a draw at Parma. Leao was decisive in both games with one assist for Pavlovic against Roma and a goal against Gilardino’s side. Nkunku left no mark and still seeks his first Serie A goal and his first strong performance. Rabiot told Gazzetta dello Sport on Wednesday, "he is strong, he has talent, he only needs to adjust to the league after a summer with little work at Chelsea." The former Leipzig player needs matches to find rhythm and Allegri knows it. He knows the Frenchman gives quality, but starting him leaves no pure forwards to introduce later. The only option would be Loftus-Cheek adapted again.
If the Englishman wins the spot, Allegri will field his eighth different pair since the start of the season across thirteen league matches. Loftus started at Lecce but played as a midfielder with Saelemaekers behind Gimenez. Allegri says Loftus plays several roles, including right-sided midfielder, second striker, or playmaker, besides his usual midfield role. Starting him removes a tactical tool from the bench in the area that needs fresh legs. Nkunku still waits for his first goal while Loftus already scored one in Lecce from a Modric free kick. He wants to regain momentum from that match and send a message, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
The most used pair so far under Allegri is the one unavailable tomorrow, Gimenez and Pulisic. They started four matches with two wins, one draw, and the opening loss to Cremonese. Gimenez and Leao started twice and Milan did not win either match, ending both in draws.
