With AC Milan visiting Juventus for the Derby dei Campioni in the 26-27 Serie A, Christian Pulisic's presence in the subs bench raised eyebrows. AC Milan feature on Sunday, September 6, in one of the most critical fixtures of the early 2026-27 Serie A campaign against rivals Juventus at Allianz Stadium. However, as the starting lineups for the Derby dei Campioni were announced, questions arose regarding the exclusion of Christian Pulisic from the Rossoneri’s starting eleven. Christian Pulisic begins on the substitute bench against Juventus strictly due to a fitness management situation. The USMNT star remains below his peak physical condition following his recent injury layoff, prompting head coach Ruben Amorim to hold him out of the starting lineup. According to reporting from Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pulisic’s physical condition remains well short of full match sharpness, noting that he is “not at 100 percent and not even close to it” at present. Despite the temporary setback, he remains regarded as a vital cornerstone of the squad as Milan carefully manage his return to action. Thus far, Pulisic has yet to record a single competitive minute during the 2026-27 Serie A campaign. Although included on the matchday bench for previous fixtures against Torino and Venezia, Amorim utilized all five available substitutions in both contests without calling on the USMNT star to take the pitch. Here's how we line up for a big night 📋Brought to you by 𝗞𝘂𝗺𝗵𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗲 pic.twitter.com/Oip9MQLfGe— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 6, 2026 Having spent several weeks building fitness in full training sessions, Pulisic is expected to compete for one of the dual attacking midfield roles in Amorim’s tactical setup once fully recovered. For the clash against Juventus, those central attacking positions will be occupied by Adrien Rabiot and Alexis Saelemaekers. Conversely, USMNT teammate Yunus Musah earned a spot in the starting lineup for the marquee clash. The former Valencia midfielder anchors the central pivot alongside Croatian legend Luka Modric, flanked by Diego Moreira and Pervis Estupiñan on the wings. Confirmed lineups for Juventus and AC Milan Juventus’ confirmed lineup (4-2-3-1): Guglielmo Vicario; Pierre Kalulu, Bremer, Jhon Lucumi, Zeki Celik; Manuel locatelli, Douglas Luiz; Francisco Conceicao, Nicolas Gonzalez, Kerim Alajbegovic; Randal Kolo Muani.Head coach: Luciano Spalletti. AC Milan’s confirmed lineup (3-4-2-1): Mike Maignan; Mario Gila, Koni De Winter, Strahinja Pavlovic; Diego Moreira, Yunus Musah, Luka Modric, Pervis Estupiñan; Adrien Rabiot, Alexis Saelemaekers; Goncalo Ramos.Head coach: Ruben Amorim.
Manager praises team’s resilience after late equaliser‘Everyone has to find a way of making it work’David Moyes praised Everton’s resilient response to a troubled week after his side twice came from behind to salvage a point against Manchester United through Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s long-range strike.The deadline-day signing, who was introduced in the 77th minute after James Garner pulled up with cramp, preserved Everton’s unbeaten start to the season with a 25-yard effort in the 96th minute. Continue reading...
Fermín, Raphinha and Pedri also score in 5-0 La Liga winGoalkeeper Koeman Jr scores two penalties in EredivisieLamine Yamal struck twice for Barcelona as they demolished Valencia 5-0 on Sunday to maintain their 100% start in La Liga.The reigning champions moved three points clear at the top of La Liga after Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid lost 1-0 at Real Betis on Friday. Fermín López, Raphinha and Pedri were also on target for Hansi Flick’s swaggering visitors on a hot afternoon on Spain’s east coast. Continue reading...
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