Milan have been forced to cut six players out of their Champions League group phase squad, including Aster Vranckx, Malick Thiaw, Yacine Adli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Rossoneri are in the same group as Chelsea, Dinamo Zagreb and RB Salzburg.
Coach Stefano Pioli had warned in today’s press conference that the squad was too large and “some painful decisions” would have to be made.
He has largely stuck with the team that won the Scudetto last term, leaving out new buys Adli, Thiaw and Vranckx.
Also cut are injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, third-choice goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu and midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, who is in talks to terminate his contract by mutual consent.
Milan are more limited than other clubs because they have 23 foreign players in the squad and only 17 are allowed in the Champions League list.
Alessandro Florenzi is included, despite sustaining a serious injury last week that could keep him out for a couple of months.
Milan squad
Maignan, Mirante, Dest, Kalulu, Tomori, Kjaer, Ballo-Toure, Theo Hernandez, Florenzi, Calabria, Gabbia, Bennacer, Krunic, Tonali, Pobega, Saelemaekers, Messias, Brahim Diaz, De Ketelaere, Leao, Giroud, Origi, Rebic
6 Italians in a CL squad is pretty bad. We could’ve bought Gnonto this year for £5m. I guess Florenzi is in the list purely because we needed to register an Italian instead of a foreign player.
I’d like to see Milan and all Serie A teams promote 2-3 players from the youth team which are Italian to get some game time. Coppa italia games in the early rounds could provide some great high profile minutes for these young lads. If they are not good enough to stay on, at least the exposure to other teams might offer them a way in to another serie A or B team.
Italian players aren’t good, why would Milan rely on them? They didn’t make the World Cup twice in a row now.
@ SMH. Plenty Good Italian players out there as Milanista said. Gnonto and even Scamacca to name two Milan could of brought who instead went overseas. Milan seem to be one of the worst at giving Italians players a spot. In general big Serie A teams don’t seam to give Italian forwards a chance.
BTW Italy didn’t make the World Cup because of a few bad games, lack of forwards and playing players tired or not in form. Our midfield is stacked. Defence still solid with some young talent coming through. Goal scoring forwards is what we are lacking. We didn’t win 4 world cups from lack of talent. Should of been more with 90 and 94.
It has to start with smaller Italian clubs first. Never mind Atalanta or Fiorentina, when teams like Spezia or Bologna barely have any Italians starting if any, then how in the world can you expect the top teams to have many Italians in their line-ups?!
That is not the case in Germany or Spain. The smaller sides have all homegrown line-ups over there and then the giants sign the very best of them.
People are barking up the wrong tree here.
Sad situation. I can’t believe we have chosen Ballo Toure instead of the Wolfsburg dm we signed. Theo will start all games anyways and we have Dest calabria kalulu and florenzi once fit again who can play lb. Bad choice by management.
Who couldn’t see this coming? Failed to sign Italian or homegrown.
Pioli will regret not including Adli and having that fraud Saelemaekers or useless Diaz in the squad.
Saelemaekers is serie B level Diaz should be at Verona.
Milan is the most foreign big club now… how sad. We broke from inter because we wanted to always have a good core or italians. Now look at this, american penny pincher owners only sign foreign because of the tax decree…. gross.
There aren’t any good Italian players that would improve this Milan side anyway.
@ACM Fan 97 There are plenty, Berardi to name one clear example…