Leao available for Milan as Nkunku misses trip to CagliariShareAC Milan will have Rafael Leao available to face Cagliari after injury, but Christopher Nkunku will miss out with an ankle problem.Rafael Leao will be available for AC Milan's trip to Cagliari on Friday, head coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.The Portuguese winger, who has endured several fitness problems this season, rejoined full training earlier this week, and could return to action for his 11th league appearance of the campaign.However, an ankle problem has ruled out Christopher Nkunku, who scored his first Serie A goals for the club during their 3-0 victory over Hellas Verona last time out, while Christian Pulisic's fitness is uncertain."Nkunku won't be there due to a problem with his left ankle," Allegri told reporters during his pre-match press conference. "Leao is back, but hasn't played for a month, so we'll need to see how many minutes he has in his legs tomorrow. Pulisic trained with the team this morning. His condition will also be evaluated tomorrow."In the past few days, [Strahinja] Pavlovic has had a fever. He'll come to Cagliari, and he'll play if he is well. [Matteo] Gabbia has recovered and will be on the bench. The important thing is to get everyone back."Allegri will be back on familiar turf at Unipol Domus, where he spent three years as a player and two as a coach between 2008 and 2010."Even though many years have passed, I always remember Cagliari with great affection," he added. "I spent five years there, three as a player and two as a coach, so it's stayed in my heart, also because it was my first experience in Serie A as a coach."On his former club, who are 14th in the table after a 2-1 victory over Torino last time out, he continued: "Tomorrow's match will be a difficult one, because it’s the first of the year and because the standings are starting to take shape."They play good football and did very well against Torino, breaking quickly and showing quality in the box. We'll need to stay focused for all 90 minutes, plus stoppage time. We have to keep our feet on the ground and our objective must be clear."PLAYERS TO WATCHCagliari – Semih KilicsoyAt the age of 20 years and 134 days, Kilicsoy is the youngest player to have scored a goal both home and away in the 2025/26 Serie A season.Additionally, the Turk is Cagliari's youngest player to have scored in two consecutive Serie A matches in the three-points-for-a-win era (20 years and 134 days on the last matchday).AC Milan – Christian PulisicPulisic was directly involved in the most Serie A goals in 2025 with 21 (14 goals, seven assists).Since his debut in Serie A (2023-24), the American international is one of only two players to have been directly involved in at least 50 goals in the top flight (31 goals, 19 assists), along with Lautaro Martinez (53).MATCH PREDICTION – AC MILAN WINMilan are one of only three sides in Europe's top five leagues in 2025-26, along with Real Betis and Bayern Munich, yet to lose an away match this season (W4 D3). The Rossoneri could remain unbeaten in each of their first eight away Serie A games in a single campaign for only the second time in the last 20 seasons (since 2006-07) – the previous instance was in 2020-21.Milan have also avoided defeat in each of their last 14 top-flight matches against Cagliari (W10 D4). Among current teams in the competition, they only have a longer active unbeaten run against Lecce (15).The Rossoneri have only lost one of their 20 Serie A away games against Cagliari since the start of the 2000s (W12 D7).Among teams faced at least 10 times away from home in the league in this period, they boast a better percentage of unbeaten matches on the road only against Empoli (100% – 13 out of 13).OPTA WIN PROBABILITYCagliari – 18.9%Draw – 22.8%AC Milan – 58.3%Leao available for Milan as Nkunku misses trip to CagliariAC Milan will have Rafael Leao available to face Cagliari after injury, but Christopher Nkunku will miss out with an ankle problem.Rafael Leao will be available for AC Milan's trip to Cagliari on Friday, head coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.The Portuguese winger, who has endured several fitness problems this season, rejoined full training earlier this week, and could return to action for his 11th league appearance of the campaign.However, an ankle problem has ruled out Christopher Nkunku, who scored his first Serie A goals for the club during their 3-0 victory over Hellas Verona last time out, while Christian Pulisic's fitness is uncertain."Nkunku won't be there due to a problem with his left ankle," Allegri told reporters during his pre-match press conference. "Leao is back, but hasn't played for a month, so we'll need to see how many minutes he has in his legs tomorrow. Pulisic trained with the team this morning. His condition will also be evaluated tomorrow."In the past few days, [Strahinja] Pavlovic has had a fever. He'll come to Cagliari, and he'll play if he is well. [Matteo] Gabbia has recovered and will be on the bench. The important thing is to get everyone back."Allegri will be back on familiar turf at Unipol Domus, where he spent three years as a player and two as a coach between 2008 and 2010."Even though many years have passed, I always remember Cagliari with great affection," he added. "I spent five years there, three as a player and two as a coach, so it's stayed in my heart, also because it was my first experience in Serie A as a coach."On his former club, who are 14th in the table after a 2-1 victory over Torino last time out, he continued: "Tomorrow's match will be a difficult one, because it’s the first of the year and because the standings are starting to take shape."They play good football and did very well against Torino, breaking quickly and showing quality in the box. We'll need to stay focused for all 90 minutes, plus stoppage time. We have to keep our feet on the ground and our objective must be clear."PLAYERS TO WATCHCagliari – Semih KilicsoyAt the age of 20 years and 134 days, Kilicsoy is the youngest player to have scored a goal both home and away in the 2025/26 Serie A season.Additionally, the Turk is Cagliari's youngest player to have scored in two consecutive Serie A matches in the three-points-for-a-win era (20 years and 134 days on the last matchday).AC Milan – Christian PulisicPulisic was directly involved in the most Serie A goals in 2025 with 21 (14 goals, seven assists).Since his debut in Serie A (2023-24), the American international is one of only two players to have been directly involved in at least 50 goals in the top flight (31 goals, 19 assists), along with Lautaro Martinez (53).MATCH PREDICTION – AC MILAN WINMilan are one of only three sides in Europe's top five leagues in 2025-26, along with Real Betis and Bayern Munich, yet to lose an away match this season (W4 D3). The Rossoneri could remain unbeaten in each of their first eight away Serie A games in a single campaign for only the second time in the last 20 seasons (since 2006-07) – the previous instance was in 2020-21.Milan have also avoided defeat in each of their last 14 top-flight matches against Cagliari (W10 D4). Among current teams in the competition, they only have a longer active unbeaten run against Lecce (15).The Rossoneri have only lost one of their 20 Serie A away games against Cagliari since the start of the 2000s (W12 D7).Among teams faced at least 10 times away from home in the league in this period, they boast a better percentage of unbeaten matches on the road only against Empoli (100% – 13 out of 13).OPTA WIN PROBABILITYCagliari – 18.9%Draw – 22.8%AC Milan – 58.3%