Twenty days ago, the prospect of facing Milan without both Kenan Yıldız and Weston McKennie would have filled Luciano Spalletti with a level of anxiety considerably greater than what he is displaying now. The Turkish number ten has begun his rehabilitation after his foot surgery. McKennie is improving — he faces a decisive fitness test today — but his involvement against Milan is far from certain. Even at his most optimistic, Spalletti can only realistically plan for him as a substitute given the limited training he has managed between the medical room and the pitch. The manager, as a result, has spent this week identifying solutions that can compensate for two very significant absences in his system.
The Obvious Answer — and Why González Is Central to It
The most logical available option, given the overcrowded medical department, is the combination that worked best across the two halves of the Parma match: Nico González in the number ten role behind Kolo Muani. With Jonathan David now in Madrid, there is no possibility of revisiting the failed experiment of the Canadian operating in a deeper position. The McKennie uncertainty therefore pushes Spalletti towards the Argentine almost by default — and it is worth noting that the manager had actually wanted to use him in the final thirty minutes at Frosinone. That was the passage of the match in which Juventus, had they conceded Calvani’s late equaliser, would have been left with only a point from their opener.
“Seduced and Abandoned” — the Summer González Has Navigated
The headline phrase — “sedotto e abbandonato” — captures González’s extraordinary summer in a single image. He desperately wanted to return to Atletico Madrid. During the World Cup, he maintained a direct line with Simeone. He believed, at several points, that the move was close to materialising. When it became clear that the two clubs could not reach an agreement, he drew a line under the past — and threw himself into Spalletti’s project with the totality that has characterised his entire pre-season.
It was not simply resignation. Spalletti had been alongside him since June — messages, phone calls, the consistent communication of a manager who genuinely valued him and wanted him to understand that his role in the project was real. Under Thiago Motta he had fallen below expectations. Under Tudor he was impalpable. Under Spalletti, something different is happening: a player who trained alone on rest days throughout the summer, who scored the decisive goal against Parma off the bench, and who is now on the verge of starting against Milan.
Conceição: Indispensable, Unfortunate — and Carrying the Attack
On the right of the attacking trio, Francisco Conceição is described by Tuttsport’s Paolo Pirisi as almost impossible to drop — not only given the squad’s current resources but because his quality justifies the selection regardless of circumstance. His first-half display against Parma was the best individual performance of the opening two rounds: the shot from distance that struck the post was of the highest order, and his ability to generate danger in possession every time he receives the ball in the final third is Spalletti’s primary creative weapon in Yıldız’s absence. He carries the offensive structure on his shoulders.
Boga Starts on the Left — Alajbegovic Waits
On the left flank, the indications from the Continassa training ground point towards Jérémie Boga being selected ahead of Alajbegovic for the Milan fixture. It is a comprehensible and defensively sensible choice: Boga’s experience, his reading of big-match intensity, and his knowledge of the squad’s rhythms and requirements give Spalletti the assurance of a player who understands the moments — when to take the risk, when to hold the ball, when to press.
Alajbegovic — described by Pirisi as “mister €35 million” — will need a little more patience still. The talent is unquestionable and Spalletti is openly infatuated with it. But it requires construction, day by day. The Bosnian’s first competitive minutes against Parma in the second half provided evidence of both the gift and the distance still to travel. The assessment from the Continassa is that he represents a live threat from the bench — perhaps more so than Woltemade in the latter stages — capable of unlocking a Milan defensive block in any single moment of individual brilliance. He is the wildcard. For now, Boga carries the starting responsibility.
