With the full squad available, and assuming the 3-5-2 continues, Allegri must pick two between Leao, Pulisic, Nkunku, and Santi Gimenez. In midfield he has to pick three from Modric, Rabiot, Ricci, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, and Jashari (by the way, Allegri said his recovery still needs about a month). In defense he must choose three from Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic, De Winter, and Odogu. If in the back line the level is similar to the average in Serie A (though when the whole team defends properly the individual level rises as well), in midfield and attack no one else in Serie A has that depth to call from the bench.
A practical example: if tomorrow Allegri sticks with Pulisic and Gimenez, who are fitting more and more into the team’s mechanisms, then the natural substitutes in the second half would be Leao and Nkunku.
Extraordinary situation?
Possibly, since Leao is usually among the starters. But even here, given that a Pulisic in this form cannot be left out, Allegri would still have on the bench a €30 million player and another worth €37 million, who in the past cost Chelsea more than €60 million. Beyond their complementary qualities, the level and pedigree are extremely high. They are all players with Champions League experience who are regular or near-regular internationals.
In midfield the picture is the same. Modric and Rabiot are world-class, Fofana and Loftus-Cheek are proving highly reliable. Ricci is eager and shows quality every time he comes on, while Milan invested €34 million plus bonuses for Jashari this summer. He is still to be tested in Italy, but again, who else in Serie A has a “reserve” of that standard?
The defense, including the wing-backs, can still be improved, but even here the starters are giving strong answers after years of problems. When Conte spoke of a squad built for the Champions League, he may not have been far off. There are 19 outfield players, maybe something is still missing, but for Serie A alone Allegri has excellent resources. Credit also goes to Max himself, who has revived players that seemed difficult to recover, as relayed via Milan News. The season is long, and tomorrow against Juventus is only the second big match after the Napoli game, but if injuries remain under control and managed as they have so far, Allegri may be right when he repeats in his press conferences that seasons are decided by the players who come off the bench.
