AC Milan face a challenging Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday, with star player Christian Pulisic side-lined due to a calf injury. The American forward will miss the crucial encounter, having been a key contributor with four goals and an assist in his last six European appearances this season.
Rafael Leao and Alvaro Morata will be tasked with filling the offensive void left by Pulisic’s absence. Leao, who leads Milan’s Champions League statistics in goals, assists, shots, and ball-carrying, will be crucial to the team’s attacking strategy.
Tijjani Reijnders continues to be a bright spot for Milan, having already matched his personal best of seven goals across all competitions this season. The Dutch midfielder is expected to play a pivotal role in Wednesday’s match.
Milan’s injury list continues to grow, with Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi, and Luka Jovic also unavailable. The team will need to dig deep to overcome these challenges and keep their Champions League qualification hopes alive.
Red Star Belgrade will have their own injury concerns, missing Peter Olayinka and first-choice goalkeeper Omri Glazer. Ivan Gutesa is set to deputize in goal, while Cherif Ndiaye leads the team’s scoring with 10 league goals this season.
A nostalgic moment awaits Milan fans with Rade Krunic, a former Scudetto winner with the club, set to feature in Red Star’s midfield. The match also presents an opportunity for 17-year-old Andrija Maksimovic to potentially break the record for the youngest player to make five consecutive Champions League starts.
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Morata
Red Star Belgrade (4-2-3-1): Gutesa; Mimovic, Spajic, Djiga, Seol; Krunic, Elsnik; Silas, Maksimovic, Milson; Ndiaye
