Official: Cagliari vs. AC Milan starting XIs – three changes from Verona win

AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri has named his first starting line-up of 2026, ahead of the game against Cagliari at the Unipol Domus.

Milan will play five games in the next 18 days and – having established themselves as title contenders so far – it could be a defining run of games. It starts with a trip to Sardinia, to face a Cagliari side that took two draws from the Rossoneri last season.

Cagliari vs. Milan: Official starting XIs

It has been a running theme for Allegri that he has the bare bones available. The coach confirmed during his pre-match press conference that Christopher Nkunku will miss out with an ankle issue. Christian Pulisic and Matteo Gabbia have recovered for the bench, and Strahinja Pavlovic is battling a fever.

The big news is that Pavlovic has not been deemed fit enough to start and therefore has to make do with a spot on the bench, hoping not to be needed during the game. Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori, Koni De Winter and Davide Bartesaghi are the rearguard.

Alexis Saelemaekers will be the right wing-back and Pervis Estupinan comes in on the opposite flank with Bartesaghi moving to left centre-back. Youssouf Fofana, Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot make up the midfield three, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Rafael Leao up front.

Official Milan XI (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Bartesaghi; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Leao.

Bench: Sportiello, Torriani, Odogu, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Athekame, Ricci, Jashari, Pulisic, Fullkrug, Castiello.

Official Cagliari XI (4-2-3-1): 

Bench: