AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri has resolved the doubts regarding the team that will take on Atalanta at the New Balance Arena.
Allegri will be wanting a response from his side after they dropped yet more points against a newly-promoted team on Friday night, drawing 2-2 with Pisa. That meant top spot was surrendered, ahead of a big week in which Roma are the next opponents after Atalanta.
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Atalanta vs. AC Milan: Predicted XIs
Compared to the game a few days ago, there is only one good bit of injury news: Ruben Loftus-Cheek was back in full training on Sunday, and he is therefore fit enough to be on the bench. Christian Pulisic, Pervis Estupinan, Adrien Rabiot and Ardon Jashari all remain out.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport this morning, there will be a change to the rearguard with Fikayo Tomori coming back in for Koni De Winter. Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic remain in the three-man defence ahead of Mike Maignan.
Alexis Saelemaekers and Davide Bartesaghi will once again operate as wing-backs, flanking a midfield three of Youssouf Fofana, Luka Modric and Samuele Ricci. Up front, Santiago Gimenez will partner the in-form Rafael Leao.
Atalanta meanwhile are expected to tweak their system slightly to go with a 3-4-1-2. The ex-Milan duo of Charles De Ketelaere and Mario Pasalic will join the dangerous Ademola Lookman in attack.
Predicted Milan XI (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Gimenez, Leao.
Predicted Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Koussounou, Hien, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, Ederson, De Roon, Zalewski; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Lookman.
ℹ️ The predicted XIs for #AtalantaMilan, according to @Gazzetta_it.
🤔 Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/vzqijH7RDu
— SempreMilan (@SempreMilanCom) October 28, 2025
it’s the most balance 11 we have. Unless Santi gets going, Allegri has basically 2 choices depending on how the game is going
1. If we are tied or chasing the game, pulls Santi out, Rafa moves to ST and Nkunku moves to SS
2. we are ahead and need to defend, pulls Santi out, brings in RLC and Rafa moves to ST.
Other than that, not a whole lot of options, given our bench
I don’t understand why he’ll never sub Fofana for Nkunku when we’re lagging. More attacking players directly behind him will make Santi 10x more dangerous.
Or in a crazy alternate reality, we could actually play with 3 attacking players on the pitch at one time! Santi, Leao and Nkunku if chasing the game. Nah, it’s Allegri, he’ll just bring on another defensive player.
Santi is not Milan material like many others
De Ketelaere for instance? who also couldn’t find the net