2 weeks ago
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One of the major sub-plots to AC Milan’s game against Fiorentina has been regarding Christian Pulisic, or rather his absence.
Milan received multiple bits of bad news during the international break, but the Pulisic blow is the biggest. Having returned from the United States with a hamstring issue, an MRI scan on Friday revealed a low-grade tear.
He will obviously be unavailable for the game in two days, but there are fears that he could be out until after the international break given it will be another 10 days before his next check. Thus, he could realistically miss five games.
What it means is that Massimiliano Allegri and his team will not only have to adapt for the visit of La Viola, but also for the matches against Pisa, Atalanta, Roma, Parma and possibly beyond.
Learning to cope
Going into 2025-26, a lot of the talk in the media was about Rafael Leao and how Allegri would get the best out of him. After the preseason campaign and his calf injury – which kept him out for over five weeks – there was a narrative about the team being Leao-dependant.
Fast-forward to mid-October, and Pulisic is the one that Milan rely upon more than anyone. Since joining ahead of the 2023-24 season the American has played 108 of the 115 matches across all competitions, with 38 goals and 25 assists to his name.
This season Pulisic has been on fire too, with eight goal contributions (six of them goals) in eight games across Serie A and the Coppa Italia. It could have been nine too but for a penalty miss against Juventus before the break, one that he admitted he has a desire to avenge.
These numbers rightly earned the former Chelsea man the title of league MVP for September, and now the Rossoneri will be without him for almost all of October (barring the start) and into November. It will be a real test of mettle.
Milan’s record without Pulisic is anything but positive. In the seven games out of 115 he has missed, the Diavolo have won twice, both times last season: against Hellas Verona in the league and Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League.
The two wins are dwarfed by three draws: a 2-2 against Lecce in 2023-24, a 0-0 against Genoa in 2024-25 and a 1-1 against Roma in the same campaign. There were also two defeats (0-1 vs. Udinese in 2023-24, and 2-0 vs. Juventus last season).
The tactical question
So, Milan need to learn how to win without their talisman, but what can Allegri do? There are some obvious tactical implications to the absence of the ex-Dortmund star, with three players now vying for two spots.
According to the latest reports, the certain is that Leao will play against his old boss Stefano Pioli on Sunday, the coach under whom he won Serie A Player of the Year following the 2021-22 Scudetto triumph.
This is largely down to condition, though, given that Gimenez returned to Milan from Mexico on Thursday and only returned to training on Friday, while Christopher Nkunku returned from his commitments with France with a foot problem and didn’t train the last two days.
Simply put, Allegri needs the others to step up because Pulisic has accounted for almost all of the output from the strikers so far. Nkunku gets a pass due to the fact he arrived quite late in the window and wasn’t at 100%, but scored in his only start (in the cup) and has looked largely dangerous.
Of course a consistent return will be expected from the former Leipzig forward given the investment of €37m+, though the sample size feels too small at present to be setting off any alarms. The issues, rather, are elsewhere.
Gimenez for example is yet to get off the mark in Serie A, and has had his confidence in front of goal rapidly eroded by multiple big chances missed and several offside goals. In the last match before the break, against Juventus, he did look sharper and also won a penalty that Pulisic missed.
For strikers, though (and Gimenez is the only bonafide No.9 in the squad), the currency that matters is goals. It’s time for the Mexican to start scoring again, and perhaps playing with a different partner will unlock something in him, given the task of finishing has fallen to Pulisic prior to the present moment.
May 25, 2024. That is the date of Leao’s last league goal at San Siro. Almost 17 months have passed, and it was Pioli’s last game as Milan coach, a draw against Salernitana before he trudged off into the (eventually Arabian) sunset.
Leao remains the man that many believe has the highest potential ceiling in the entire squad but also the biggest doubts regarding whether he can achieve it. Allegri was supposed to be the one with the key to unlock it all, and so far the jury is out, especially after a length lay-off.
Nonetheless, the ex-Lille winger came off the bench against Napoli and Juventus, failing to impress in either cameo. Though he perhaps wasn’t in top psychological and physical condition, the two big chances he missed against the Bianconeri did not best please Allegri, nor did his attitude.
So, Milan limp into Sunday’s game against a struggling Viola side hoping to find a formula that will get them buy in a tough run of fixtures before the next break and – crucially – before Pulisic returns to lead the team that has become ‘his’.
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