AC Milan need a win in the season finale against Cagliari to finish positively and secure a Champions League place for 2026-27. Luka Modric is expected to return, driven by responsibility toward younger players and a desire to lead the team again next year. Ardon Jashari is expected to make way for Modric in the regista role. Adrien Rabiot and Youssouf Fofana are set to complete the midfield, with Fofana returning to the starting lineup after being benched in recent home defeats. Davide Bartesaghi is likely to start at left wing-back, while the right wing-back spot is contested between Zachary Athekame and Alexis Saelemaekers. The defense is expected to feature Tomori, Gabbia, and Pavlovic, while the attack remains unsettled among several fit options, with Nkunku the only clear certainty.
"AC Milan need one more win to end the season on a positive note and seal a Champions League place for 2026-27. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luka Modric will be back in the team for Sunday's season finale against Cagliari. He's the one who wanted it more than anyone, despite the medical bulletin at the end of April having declared his season over, as Massimiliano Allegri presumed it was too."
"Modric is driven by a sense of responsibility towards the younger players and the desire to lead the team again next year in the Champions League. Ardon Jashari will make room for him in the regista role, with the master taking the student's spot. Completing the midfield will be the ever-faithful Adrien Rabiot and his compatriot Youssouf Fofana , who may be on his way out but has almost always been a starter under Allegri."
"In the last two consecutive home defeats, against Udinese and Atalanta, Fofana wasn't a starter. Persevering would be be a risk, so Allegri will give him back his place at San Siro, after he also got the nod in Genoa. The wing-backs will be Davide Bartesaghi on the left (PervisEstupinan is available after suspension), while on the right there's a battle between Zachary Athekame - who scored in Genoa - and Alexis Saelemaekers."
"The defence will be made up of Allegri's 'core trio': Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic. The attack remains to be assembled. There's no shortage of options: Rafael Leao has served his suspension, Christian Pulisic has overcome his muscle woes, and Santiago Gimenez and Niclas Füllkrug are fully fit. The only certainty is Nkunku, because more than ever Allegri will reward merit, and he deserves it."
Read at SempreMilan
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