AC Milan kicks off 2026 by aiming to top the Serie A table as they visit Cagliari on Friday night.
The Rossoneri are looking to maintain their unbeaten streak in the league and extend their favorable record against Cagliari, having not lost in their last 15 encounters.
Cagliari vs AC Milan – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Friday, 2nd January.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Unipol Domus, Cagliari.
Cagliari Team News
Cagliari enters the match with the return of key defenders. Yerry Mina and Juan Rodríguez are back from illness and have resumed full training, boosting the defense for Fabio Pisacane’s team.
Additionally, Zito Luvumbo and Joseph Liteta have returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and participated in training at the Crai Sport Center on Monday.
Andrea Belotti is still out due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and Michael Folorunsho has had surgery, expected to return in January. Mattia Felici and Ze Pedro also remain unavailable.
AC Milan Team News
AC Milan will see Rafael Leao return after he completed his recovery and rejoined training this week.
However, Massimiliano Allegri confirmed that Christopher Nkunku will be absent due to a left ankle issue, despite scoring twice in Milan’s recent 3-0 win over Hellas Verona.
Christian Pulisic participated in training today, with his status to be assessed on match day. Defensive reinforcements are coming, as Matteo Gabbia has recovered from a knee injury and will be available on the bench. Strahinja Pavlović, recently ill, has traveled with the squad and could play if fully fit.
Santiago Giménez is still out with an ongoing ankle injury.
Form
Cagliari
Cagliari snapped a tough run of results by securing a 2-1 victory against Torino last weekend, marking their first win in 12 league games.
They currently sit 14th in the table with 18 points, just six points above the relegation zone, as survival remains their main goal.
AC Milan
Massimiliano Allegri’s team has been consistent, extending their unbeaten streak in Serie A to 15 matches following a strong 3-0 win over Hellas Verona on Sunday.
The Rossoneri have won four out of their last five league matches and currently stand second in the table with 35 points, just one point behind Inter Milan.
Predicted Lineups
Cagliari: Caprile; Zappa, Mina, Luperto; Palestra, Adopo, Deiola, Prati, Idrissi; Esposito, Kilicsoy.
AC Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao.
How to Watch Cagliari vs AC Milan?
In the UK, the match will be live on DAZN, with coverage also available through Sky and NOW as part of the official AC Milan broadcast schedule.
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