CM: Allegri fighting a battle to keep Milan going – January signings a necessity

After AC Milan took an early lead and failed to win for the second straight game, questions about the squad size are once again being asked.

Milan’s bench for the match at the New Balance Arena against Atalanta last night told a story, with respect to the players on it: Pittarella, Terracciano, De Winter, Odogu, Athekame, Loftus-Cheek and Nkunku.

Just seven players and five of them outfield. Atalanta, meanwhile, had the following substitutes available: Rossi, Sportiello, Musah, Sulemana, Scamacca, Samardzicc, Bellanova, Djimsiti, Kolasinac, Obric, Brescianini, Zalewski, Maldini and Krstovic.

The need to intervene

As Calciomercato.com recall, Allegri admitted after the game that this is not an ideal situation: “These are ten days in which we need to grit our teeth a bit, and then after the break we’ll start again with all our players.”

At a difficult stadium and against a strong opponent, the Rossoneri attempted to play their game, knowing they didn’t have the best weapons at their disposal to win the match.

The absences of Adrien Rabiot and Christian Pulisic are too much of a burden, as they lack two players who provide that extra something in terms of balance, quality and end product. With Rafael Leao starting despite a hip problem, the attack once again showed all of their current limitations.

Igli Tare, speaking to DAZN before the match, defending the decision to go into the season with just 19 outfield players, stating: “It wasn’t expected that six players would get injured during an international break.”

Image: AC Milan

On the one hand, it’s true that there’s nothing you can do about fate. On the other, the problem of a small squad had already been highlighted at the close of the summer transfer window. There is little depth in key areas, and when the only striker (Santiago Gimenez) isn’t scoring, wins will be hard to get.

Allegri professes optimism because the project is new and requires positive energy after a season that plunged the entire club into a sporting depression. Yet, reading between the lines, his true objective is to get to the break without causing further damage.

That said, international breaks have deprived him of several players. The management in the meantime have to look for an experienced striker and a striker ahead of the January transfer window, given the almost zero contribution of Gimenez and Nkunku thus far.