AC Milan will be without Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud for the game against Fiorentina, which puts a bit of added responsibility on the shoulders of Christian Pulisic after his excellent start to the season.
After missing the matches against Lecce and Udinese due to muscle problems, La Gazzetta dello Sport confirm that the American will return to the field from the first minute against La Viola on Saturday night, hoping to pick up where he left off.
It seems like a lifetime ago, but Pulisic was the last player to score a winning goal in the league. It was October 7, at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris against Genoa, when his first-time shot finally broke the deadlock and propelled Stefano Pioli’s side to a seventh win in eight Serie A games.
Giroud was the unexpected protagonist as he took the gloves following Mike Maignan’s red card, but the startling fact remains that Milan have not won in the league since that day. In the meantime they lost against Juventus and against Udinese while they drew 2-2 with Napoli and Lecce after being 2-0 up.
Above all, Pioli has been forced to deal with injuries and absences. Pulisic was not present in Naples due to a contracture in his left thigh, then returned on the big Champions League evening against PSG, but came off in the final minutes against the French side.
Pulisic did not join up with the USA and instead took advantage of the international break to accelerate his recovery in view of the games against Fiorentina and Borussia Dortmund.
He has scored 4 goals and 2 assists in the league alone so far, while the Rossoneri have won every time when he has found the net (against Bologna and Turin in the first two matchdays, then against Lazio and Genoa).
Last win on October 7? Wow. Classic “how to ruin a season in just two months”. It’s starting to feel like January 2023 again.