Santiago Gimenez ruled out – Who will Milan trust for Serie A finale: Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao, or Joao Felix?
Milan will close its campaign on Saturday evening at San Siro, facing relegated Monza in a game that holds little significance in the standings but may carry emotional weight for fans and players alike. After a disappointing end to the season, including back-to-back losses at the Stadio Olimpico in Coppa Italia and Serie A, any hope for a European spot has vanished. What remains is the possibility of leapfrogging Fiorentina into eighth place—a minor consolation that would merely spare the team a Coppa Italia qualifier in August.
Adding to the subdued tone, head coach Sergio Conceicao will not be on the touchline, having received a red card during the 3-1 loss to Roma. But even with little at stake, San Siro may witness emotional goodbyes, potential debuts, and long-awaited milestones—elements that give this curtain call an undercurrent of drama.
Familiar names, unfamiliar decisions
Now, the question on everyone’s mind is whether big names like Christian Pulisic, Santiago Gimenez, Rafael Leao, or Joao Felix would take center stage in the final game.
Here is what we now know: Santiago Gimenez will not be available, serving a one-game suspension after elbowing Gianluca Mancini, an incident caught by VAR that earned him a red card and a ban. In his place, 17-year-old Francesco Camarda will be given his first start, with hopes that he can score his first-ever Serie A goal. Camarda, hailed as one of the Rossoneri’s brightest youth talents, will be watched with eager anticipation.
Meanwhile, Joao Felix is expected to start once again, continuing a run of games under Conceicao, who has publicly backed him in recent weeks. On the opposite flank, Christian Pulisic will start, aiming to cap off a solid season in which he has amassed 11 goals and 9 assists in 33 league appearances.
“Pulisic completes the side,” reports Calciomercato, while Rafael Leao is likely to be benched—a symbolic decision that could indicate deeper reflections on his future at the club.
Farewell for some?
The narrative intensifies with several key players potentially playing their final game at San Siro. Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, and Tijjani Reijnders have all been linked with exits in recent weeks, and Saturday could mark a farewell for more than one of them.
Reijnders, in particular, has drawn interest from Manchester City, who reportedly want him available immediately for the Club World Cup. However, Calciomercato notes that “he is still focused on Milan” and will start the final game alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
At the back, Marco Sportiello will start in goal, with Maignan benched, possibly signaling a changing of the guard. The defense will consist of Malick Thiaw, Matteo Gabbia, and Strahinja Pavlovic, offering a glimpse of a younger, reshaped Milan. On the flanks, Davide Bartesaghi, who just renewed his contract until 2030, and Alex Jimenez will feature, underlining the club’s focus on youth ahead of what is expected to be a summer of transition.
Expected Milan XI (3-4-3): Sportiello; Thiaw, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Jimenez, Reijnders, Loftus-Cheek, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Camarda, Joao Felix.