AC Milan return to Serie A action this weekend, and Paulo Fonseca will give several players opportunities to impress for a number of reasons.
It has been a difficult opening to the season, and Fonseca will offer several players a chance in Milan’s next clash, given the backlash from the Fiorentina game is still very much present. However, the changes cannot be seen as taking advantage of the calendar, with the Portuguese head coach admitting he thinks his side faces a difficult challenge.
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In goal, Mike Maignan will start once again, and Matteo Gabbia – the only obvious starting central defender – will be present, as Milan News writes. Emerson Royal and Filippo Terracciano have seemingly won their ballots in full-back, and Strahinja Pavlovic will partner the Italian stalwart.
The midfield duo looks to be remaining untouched, so Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders will be partners once again. However, changes are expected in front of them, with Samuel Chukwueze and Noah Okafor being given opportunities on the wings, meaning Christian Pulisic will start in the Trequartista position.
After Tammy Abraham’s antics, Alvaro Morata will be given the lead role of the team, and perhaps, he could be given the armband. Alternatively, it could be the perfect opportunity for Gabbia to debut with the honour.
The latest team news and match information is available in our preview as always.
Gabbia should get the armband without discussion. He’s the senior Italian and from the academy to boot.
Ours not about “seniorship”. It’s about leadership. Gabbia is a good defender. But is he a good leader …
*It’s
Yes Gabbia should be the captain and the leader of the team.
Absolutely agree! Gabbia’s journey from the academy to senior status speaks volumes about his dedication and leadership. He embodies the spirit of the club and would inspire both teammates and fans alike. His experience and passion make him the ideal choice for the armband!
He also sucks, so there’s that. Who cares if he’s Italian and from the academy?
That means Tomori will be rotated to play against Club Brugges on Tuesday. Would rather he play against Udinese and we see Gabbia, Pavlovic on the big stage.
I get that! Tomori is crucial against Udinese, but giving Gabbia and Pavlovic the chance to shine in a high-stakes match like Bruges could really elevate their confidence. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to see how our young talents handle the pressure on the big stage. Let’s embrace the challenge!
Certain websites are saying that Fonseca is sitting Leão for the Udinese game because of Rafa’s words to the Portuguese press, that Rafa feels supported in Portugal by fans and teammates and enjoys the trust the coach has in him.
I hope it’s a groundless rumor (Fonseca said he’s simply rotating because of so many games and competitions) and journalists are stirring trouble where there is none, but if that’s what is happening (and there is at least some chance that it is, because Fonseca had previously said he didn’t want to rotate too much), there can’t be anything more stupid.
Say, Maignan said to the French press: “I enjoy playing for our National Team; the fans and teammates support me and Mister Deschamps trusts me.”
Should, then, Maignan be benched??? Would anybody be assuming that Mike was complaining of Milan? Why is it that when it’s Rafa, people pounce on him with all this hatred???
This is ridiculous. Rafa never made a comparison to Milan. Not everything is about club, for a player who plays both for club and country. Rafa simply praised his Portuguese teammates, fans, and coach, like all classy players do when their national press ask them for declarations regarding the national team. That’s absolutely a normal thing to say.
Are we now scapegoating Rafa so much, that this normal statement is constructed as if he were belittling Milan and Fonseca???
I can’t even start to understand why such a harmless declaration by Rafa is even made into an issue, to start with.
The criticism of Rafa is becoming so ridiculously exaggerated!! OK, so what did you expect? What should Rafa have said instead to his national press?
Journalists: Rafael Leão, how do you feel when you’re playing for the Portuguese National Team?
Rafa: “I don’t enjoy playing for Portugal. You know, screw the Portuguese fans and teammates. I don’t like our coach either. It’s all SO MUCH BETTER at Milan!!! I wish Mr. Martinez would never call me up again to play for despicable Portugal!”
LOL
——-
Now, if Fonseca indeed is just rotating, as a matter of fact I think it is dangerous because Udinese is no pushover. They are a good and dangerous team, currently sitting in 5th place, actually above us. I’d rather see our best players starting, securing the result first, and then they can rest and be subbed out once the result is secure.
Heavy rotation against Udinese is likely to backfire, including because with the clueless and useless Terracciano replacing a suspended Theo, we’ll be defensively weak on the left side, on top of being weak on the right side with Emerson. We’ll need all the goals we can score, and regardless of what haters say, Rafa is still someone who creates scoring opportunities. I’d rest Rafa more safely against a worse team than Udinese.
Calm down dude. You’re getting all worked up over nothing. A silly rumor.
I did say “I hope it’s a groundless rumor.” But regardless of Fonseca’s reasons, yes, there’s been fans bashing Rafa for these declarations in Portugal, which, as you may agree, is utterly ridiculous,
Love your passion. Keep it up.
🤣🤣🤣
You just wrote a novel and accomplished nothing…
Yes, I’m verbose, so what? People assume I’m all worked up because my posts are long. Not true. I’ve always written long posts. It has nothing to do with my emotional state, which is just regular.
As for not accomplishing anything, it’s a question of opinion. I believe that mine is entirely justified.
Yes, I’m verbose, so what? People assume I’m all worked up because my posts are long. Not true. I’ve always written long posts. It has nothing to do with my emotional state, which is just regular.
As for not accomplishing anything, it’s a question of opinion. I believe that mine is entirely justified.
Leao was the one who told Abraham to take the second penalty in the Fiorentina game. Abraham has said as much. I think that is the reason Leao isn’t in the starting 11.
You make some compelling points! It’s frustrating how easily words can be twisted, especially when it comes to Rafa. His comments were simply a reflection of pride in representing his country, not a slight against Milan. The scrutiny he faces is disproportionate, especially compared to how other players are treated for similar statements.
Regarding rotation, I agree that while it’s important to manage player fatigue, facing a strong Udinese side requires our best on the pitch. We can’t underestimate them, especially with some defensive gaps. Securing the points should be the priority, and we’d be better off keeping our key players in the lineup to ensure a solid performance. Let’s hope Fonseca balances the need for rotation with the urgency of the match!
The criticism of Leo is overly exaggerated. No player performs better than him on the left flank. Both Okafor and Pulisic played their this season and made little or no impact.
I believe we are too used to seeing him decide games for us single- handedly. Now he drops and many are calling for his head. I bet it will take us a long way to replace a player like Leo. Until now he found no ideal replacement for suso, who was said to be lazy also . No replacement for hakan and kessie
Another thing: I find it extremely unlikely that we’ll be winning the UCL or even progressing to something like the semis. I’ll be happy if we at least get to the round of 16 but progressing further may be a pipe dream.
Even though it’s a tall order too with Napoli’s and Inter’s form, I still think it’s way more likely that we’ll win the Scudetto, than the UCL.
So, I’d rather see our best players called up for the Serie A games, than for the game against Club Brugges mid-week.
You know, ALL Serie A games are worth 3 points. If we drop 3 (or even 2) points to Udinese, it damages our chances just the same as losing or drawing any other Serie A game.
To be realistic, maybe we should focus on Serie A rather than on other competitions, even the UCL. After all, we’re 5 points behind Napoli and they don’t even need to play in Europe. If we fall 8 points behind them, it starts to get harder and harder to recover.
You raise some valid points! While the Champions League is prestigious, the Scudetto has to be our priority, especially with Napoli and Inter in strong form. Every Serie A match is crucial, and dropping points now could significantly hinder our title hopes.
Focusing on domestic success allows us to build momentum and confidence, which is essential for the long season ahead. Plus, with the added pressure of European competition, we can’t afford to overlook the importance of consistency in Serie A. Let’s put our best foot forward in every league match and aim to close that gap!
Chill out, dude..
Sit back, grab your popcorn and enjoy emerson royal + chuku’s the best ultimate right flank attack since football has been invented.
I never realized until after this post. Chukwu and royal, what a partnership
Oh I wish chukwueze could discover his form so pulisic can become more of a AM.
I hate seeing morata playing as a AM/SS😩😭😭
People here actually think Gabbis is a good defender? They are on drugs.