As club football takes a break for international matches, teams are finalizing their UEFA squad lists for the upcoming European season. AC Milan, set to compete in the new format of the Champions League, face some tough decisions ahead of the September 4th deadline.
The Rossoneri are expected to submit a list shorter than the maximum 25 players allowed, due to a shortage of homegrown talent. Only Mattia Gabbia and Davide Calabria are products of Milan’s youth academy, while Marco Sportiello, Fillipo Terracciano, and Alessandro Florenzi qualify as players developed in other Italian academies.
For the 17 “free” slots, coach Paulo Fonseca will likely have to make at least one cut. Luka Jovic is the prime candidate to be left out, making way for new signing Tammy Abraham. The only factor that could alter these plans would be Ismael Bennacer’s potential move to Saudi Arabia, but with the transfer window there closing on September 2nd, time is running short.
Already certain to be excluded are surplus players Divock Origi and Fodé Ballo-Touré. Young Alex Jimenez, despite being born in 2005, doesn’t meet the requirements for List B inclusion due to insufficient time at the club. However, Milan can include youth prospects like Camarda and Zeroli, as well as young goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani, in List B.
The probable List A for AC Milan is shaping up as follows:
Goalkeepers: Maignan, Sportiello
Defenders: Emerson Royal, Thiaw, Tomori, Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez, Calabria, Florenzi, Gabbia, Terracciano
Midfielders: Bennacer, Loftus-Cheek, Fofana, Reijnders, Musah, Pulisic, Chukwueze
Forwards: Leao, Abraham, Okafor, Morata
