After about a month, the international break returns, the second since the start of the new season. Milan and Max Allegri will be without several players who will be away with their national teams, and the group will only be back together at Milanello next Thursday. The general feeling is that this break comes at the wrong time, right when the team was starting to build momentum, finding identity, balance, and rhythm. From the clear wins against Bologna, Udinese, and Lecce, to the strong first half and victory over Napoli, and the unlucky draw with Juve. This team knows how to chase objectives, thanks above all to its coach, to Modric, Maignan, and Rabiot. But after the break, another run of demanding matches awaits. Maybe not decisive, but certainly important.
Prospects for players during the October break: who can benefit
Fifteen players have been called up by their national teams, which, with a squad of only 22, means almost the whole team is away. Allegri will therefore spend these 10 days watching his players from a distance. Who can really benefit from this pause? Surely those who have played less under Allegri, such as Nkunku, Athekame, and De Winter. They all have limited minutes for different reasons, some because of untouchable starters ahead of them, others because of less-than-ideal fitness. These three, and also Loftus-Cheek, will have a chance to stay active and prove their worth even from afar. They may not be regular starters for Milan, but after the break, with a deliberately small squad, everyone will be needed in top condition. October and November are historically tricky months, as pointed out by Milan Press.
The situation is different for the key starters: Modric and Rabiot above all, who have been stretched to the limit, often playing matches of over 100 minutes, rarely leaving the field. Modric, who would give full intensity even in a Thursday friendly, remains a central figure for Croatia, which has yet to find his successor. Rabiot, a favorite of Deschamps, will also be asked to give everything. Saelemaekers will want to prove himself with Belgium, Gimenez will fight to regain his starting spot with Mexico, and Pulisic, captain and star of the United States, is the face of his national team and cannot step aside. The result is that Allegri will hope to get his core players back from the break without being drained, with crucial matches looming in the weeks ahead.
