Allegri is preparing to host the two Tuscan teams in the league at San Siro: Fiorentina on Sunday, followed by Pisa, a team he has never beaten as a coach. The two previous encounters date back to his time at Grosseto: one draw and one loss. As Allegri often repeats, Milan focuses on one match at a time.
Concerns remain...
The latest concern is Rabiot’s calf knock, which prevented him from training yesterday. The precaution is justified, according to coach Didier Deschamps (“He didn’t train as a precaution, he needs a little more time”), with no alarm about Adrien’s condition. Today France will face Iceland with Rabiot in doubt. Milan and Allegri are watching closely but without concern.
As for Rafael Leao, he had the same situation and missed Portugal’s training yesterday after coming on against Ireland. He will not play against Hungary. It is simple management after a calf issue early in the season. Leao will return to Milan and be ready for training in the afternoon, as pointed out by Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
What about Milan's wide players?
Saelemaekers gave up after an hour in Belgium-North Macedonia: a right flexor issue will force him to miss the Wales match and, importantly for Milan fans, the clash with Fiorentina on Sunday. Alexis has already returned to Milan, and Max will arrange his replacement. The decision will be made midweek, once Zachary Athekame returns to Milan. The fullback will be in Ljubljana tonight for Slovenia-Switzerland. Two days ago, the Swiss federation promoted him from the Under-21s to the senior team to reinforce the squad after several absences.
The week will end with another step forward: his first start for Milan after two substitute appearances in the league. He is the natural backup for Saelemaekers. Similarly, Bartesaghi is the backup for Estupinan. Ecuador’s left-back stayed in South America despite a minor ankle sprain sustained against the USA from Pulisic (who came on as a substitute because he wasn’t fully fit), which forced a halftime change. Once it was confirmed the injury was minor, he might play against Mexico on Wednesday night Italian time. This means the fullback (like Santi) will return to Milanello only Thursday or Friday. Returning days before the match will force the staff to assess players’ form in the final training sessions. Currently, Estupinan is considered fit for Fiorentina.
As for the attack...
Gimenez will need the same time for another intercontinental trip: the match against Ecuador follows Colombia’s 4-0 win, and for Santi, a game lasting just over an hour. Mood and fitness could be affected by travel. He remains one of Milan’s key attackers: irreplaceable for work rate and contribution to the team.
The main question is who will play alongside him. Pulisic is in Colorado for Wednesday night, with group training at Milanello scheduled two days later. His ankle will also need careful evaluation. He leads the race for a spot, challenged by Leao if fully fit, and Nkunku, also with France.
