AC Milan can clinch Champions League football against Cagliari, but the line-up choice is the bigger story. Max Allegri has left Rafael Leão and Christian Pulišić on the bench, brought Luka Modrić back among the substitutes a month after surgery on a facial fracture, and handed the attacking responsibility to Santiago Giménez and Christopher Nkunku.

Why Allegri has made this call

This is not a fringe-player shuffle. Rafael Leão has 27 Serie A appearances this season and Christian Pulišić has 28, with 7 goals, so both are clearly part of Milan's main attacking core. Allegri has still gone with a different starting shape, and that is the sort of call that only gets judged one way on a night like this: by whether it works.

The brief also points to Ardon Jashari getting the nod to replace Luka Modrić rather than Samuele Ricci or Ruben Loftus-Cheek. That is a useful clue about the balance Allegri wants. It looks like a selection built for energy and directness, with Nkunku and Giménez asked to lead the line instead of Milan's more established wide threats.

What the bench says about Milan's night

The bench is where the risk sits. Modrić is back there just a month after surgery on a facial fracture, which is the clearest sign that Milan are still managing his return carefully. If he is needed, the source says he would wear a protective mask.

The numbers around the squad underline why this selection stands out. Milan are third in Serie A on 70 points after 37 matches, one win away from confirming Champions League football. Their last five league results are WLLDW, so this is not a side arriving with perfect momentum. Against that backdrop, Allegri has chosen to trust Nkunku, who has 31 Serie A appearances with 7 goals, and Giménez, who has 14 Milan appearances, rather than keep the familiar front three together.

If Milan get the result, the selection will look sensible. If they do not, the decision to leave Leão and Pulišić out of the XI will be the first place people look.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →