Fonseca Eyes Win Against Former Club Roma with AC Milan

AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca remains confident despite injury setbacks ahead of Sunday's Serie A clash with Roma.

AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca is adopting a positive outlook ahead of his team's Serie A clash with AS Roma on Sunday, despite being dealt a significant blow with the injury setback of leading scorer Christian Pulisic. The 26-year-old American forward will miss the match against Roma.

Although Milan's injury woes continue, with eight players absent from their 1-0 win over Verona on December 20th, Fonseca revealed that forward Alvaro Morata is expected to return to the squad. This boost could provide a timely lift for the eighth-placed Rossoneri as they prepare to face Roma.

AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca provided an update on the team's injury situation, revealing that US international Christian Pulisic will miss Sunday's Serie A clash against AS Roma due to an ankle problem. “I expected to have Pulisic. He is fine, he has recovered from his calf problem, but in the last two days he has had an ankle problem,” Fonseca explained. He added that the issue arose during Pulisic's recovery process, making him unavailable for the match, not even as a substitute. “He is not ready to play tomorrow, not even for the bench.”

Fonseca shared a more positive outlook on other injured players, stating that Alvaro Morata and Ismael Bennacer are progressing well. However, English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to return to action only next week. Additionally, Yunus Musah and Rafael Leao are working towards being fit for the Italian Super Cup clash against Juventus next Friday.

Despite the injury setbacks, AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca remains confident that his team will be ready to face AS Roma on Sunday. “We'll have eleven anyway,” the 51-year-old coach stated, emphasizing that they will still field a competitive team.

Fonseca, who previously had a two-year stint as Roma's coach, acknowledged that facing his former club would be a special experience. “Roma is a great club, they have a great team... I have many friends there,” he said, expressing his admiration for the club. However, Fonseca made it clear that his focus would solely be on securing a win for Milan. “But... in the 90 minutes I only have the thought of winning.”

AC Milan currently sits eighth in the Serie A standings with 26 points from 16 matches, trailing the top five by five points. The team's recent performances have been met with frustration from fans, who booed them earlier this month. Nevertheless, Fonseca remains optimistic and refuses to write off his team's chances. “The mood is good. I can't be more positive after the last training sessions,” he added, conveying his confidence in the team's preparation.