News Focus
- Rafael Leao suspended for vital away trip to Genoa
- All top-four contenders kick off simultaneously at 11:00 BST
- Christopher Nkunku poised to start in attack for the Rossoneri
- Luka Modric returns to bench despite facial fracture
- Genoa host Milan in pivotal Champions League qualification clash
AC Milan visit Genoa on Sunday for a high-stakes Serie A encounter that could prove decisive in the race for Champions League qualification. Manager Massimiliano Allegri faces a selection headache with several key players unavailable for the early kick-off.
The match begins at 11:00 BST (12:00 local time) as part of a coordinated fixture schedule. League authorities arranged for all games involving Napoli, Juventus, Milan, Roma and Como to start at the same moment. This ensures fair competition during the crucial closing stages of the top-four battle. Officials also needed to avoid a clash with the Italian Open tennis final and the Rome derby, which share facilities.
Star winger Rafael Leao misses out through suspension after accumulating yellow cards. The Portugal international sits alongside Alexis Saelemaekers and Pervis Estupinan on the sidelines. Allegri looks set to hand Christopher Nkunku a starting role up front, while Zachary Athekame should cover at wing-back. Fikayo Tomori, Youssouf Fofana and Ardon Jashari are expected to return to the first team, reports Sky Sport Italia.
Croatian veteran Luka Modric may make a surprise appearance from the substitutes’ bench. The midfielder recently fractured his cheekbone, an injury that initially threatened to keep him out for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.
Predicted Genoa XI (3-5-2): Bijlow; Marcandalli, Otoa, Vasquez; Sabelli, Malinovskyi, Frendrup, Amorim, Ellertsson; Ekhator, Colombo.
Predicted AC Milan XI (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Athekame, Fofana, Jashari, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Gimenez, Nkunku.
Fans can catch all the pre-match build-up, live commentary and post-match analysis via the Football Italia Liveblog.