In a weekend where every major contender took the field, one absence immediately raised eyebrows. Christian Pulisic and Milan were nowhere to be found on the Serie A Matchday 24 schedule, despite being deeply involved in the title race.
For supporters and observers alike, the silence is striking. No kickoff, no lineup, no buildup—just a conspicuous gap in a weekend packed with fixtures. As rivals continued their campaigns, questions began to swirl: why are the Rossoneri absent, and what is really happening behind the scenes?
The 2025-26 Serie A season has evolved into a tense battle at the top, with Napoli, Inter, and Milan separated by narrow margins. Pulisic’s side sits five points behind Inter while chasing the Scudetto, and every matchday carries enormous weight. Yet, while Juventus, Lazio, Roma, and others played crucial fixtures, Milan stands still; an anomaly in a league where momentum is everything.
The reason finally revealed
The answer lies far from soccer itself. San Siro, Milan’s historic home stadium, is unavailable because it hosts the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 6, 2026.
With massive staging infrastructure, rehearsals, and security measures occupying the venue, hosting a soccer match was impossible. As a result, the scheduled home fixture against Como was postponed and rescheduled. The new date was confirmed as Wednesday, February 18, 2026, turning what should have been a routine weekend match into a midweek clash.
General view inside San Siro stadium.
Before the postponement was finalized, Serie A even explored a radical alternative: staging the match in Perth, Australia. But the plan collapsed amid financial and logistical concerns. “Plans for Perth to host the first-ever official European league match for points outside its national borders are off,” the league stated, citing risks and approval complications.
The rescheduling has created a brutal calendar stretch for Milan. Massimiliano Allegri’s players will play three league matches in ten days, a scenario that often determines title races. Fixture congestion means rotation dilemmas, fatigue risks, and a greater likelihood of injuries—especially for key players. Ironically, the postponement also gives the Rossoneri a game in hand in the standings, a psychological and mathematical advantage if they convert it into three points.
Strategic pause for Christian Pulisic
While the schedule disruption caused frustration, it also delivered something rare: time. Christian Pulisic has been dealing with bursitis near the hip, an inflammation issue that forced him out of recent matches. Massimiliano Allegri confirmed the situation, saying “Pulisic has bursitis that’s bothering him,” adding hope that the winger would be “back on track in the coming days.”
Christian Pulisic of AC Milan in action against David de Gea goalkeeper of ACF Fiorentina
Because of the rescheduled match and fixture gaps, Pulisic and his teammate, Rafael Leao, have received a 20-day recovery window, an almost unheard-of luxury during a title race. This period is being treated as a controlled reset—focused on therapy, load management, and restoring rhythm rather than risking further setbacks.
