AC Milan under pressure as top-four race tightens before Genoa trip

AC Milan head to Genoa with their Champions League push looking fragile. AC Milan are fourth in Serie A with 67 points from 36 matches, and their recent league form is LLDWL. The squad news does not help much either, because Christian Pulisic is available again while Rafael Leão, Alexis Saelemaekers and Pervis Estupiñán are suspended.

Why Milan's margin for error is gone

Max Allegri's side still have a decent season on paper, with a 19-10-7 league record and a +18 goal difference, but the recent run has dragged the conversation away from title talk. One preview summed it up bluntly: Milan have gone from title contenders to facing doubts over a top-four finish. That is hard to argue with when the last five league results read LLDWL.

There is also a split in the preview coverage around just how poor the recent points return has been, with different outlets citing four points from six league games or seven points from eight Serie A rounds. The exact framing varies, but the bigger point is the same. Milan have not been steady enough, and fourth place on 67 points still leaves work to do.

Pulisic is back, but Milan still have to reshuffle

Pulisic's return is useful because Milan need reliable attacking options, not just available bodies. He has resumed full training and is available to face Genoa, and he has already contributed 27 league appearances this season. That matters because the suspended trio removes some of the depth Allegri would normally lean on in a match like this.

The one caveat is that his recent scoring drought has been described differently across previews, so the safest reading is the verified one: he has gone 17 league games without scoring. Even then, the basic picture is clear. Milan get one starter back, but they lose three others at the same time.

Genoa are not under the same pressure. They are 14th in Serie A with 41 points from 36 matches, and their recent league form is DDLWW. Milan have lost just one of the clubs' last 16 league meetings, which should still give them a historical edge. But if Allegri's team are loose again, Genoa have enough recent resilience to make this awkward.

If Milan do not take three points, the table will get uncomfortable very quickly. If they do, the return of Pulisic and the damage caused by the suspensions will still be part of the conversation before the next round.