Captain America can’t always help AC Milan

AC Milan have been cautioned against leaning too heavily on Christian Pulisic, with Fabio Capello suggesting the Rossoneri are placing too much responsibility on their American star. The legendary coach, who still closely follows events at San Siro, believes Milan risk becoming overly reliant on the player nicknamed ‘Captain America’ — and warns that he cannot be their solution every week.

Capello is not entirely convinced that Pulisic alone can drive Milan to Serie A glory through a Golden Boot-winning campaign. Despite dealing with a few injury issues this season, the USMNT attacker remains firmly in the scoring conversation, having netted eight league goals and already reached double figures across all competitions.

At the start of 2026, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez leads the Serie A scoring charts, but only by a single goal over Pulisic. The Argentine World Cup winner is a natural No.9 and a more established finisher in decisive moments.

While Pulisic has shown he can match the league’s elite on an individual level, the question remains whether that level can be sustained as part of a collective push for the Scudetto. Milan may need exactly that if they are to finish top of the table.

When asked by Gazzetta dello Sport, Capello, who both played for and coached Milan, has previously spoken about how the club can maximize Pulisic’s impact: “Pulisic can truly play anywhere; he even looks perfect in his current role in a 3-5-2 formation. He moves well, he has quality and speed and makes vertical runs. I feel that starting in a central position suits him better. He becomes more dangerous when he’s free to move.”

Milan are hoping to stay firmly in the title race throughout the 2025–26 season, not least because they must convince Pulisic that the project is moving in the right direction. His influence at San Siro has so far delayed a contract extension, though fresh negotiations are expected in the spring. The club remain confident of reaching an agreement — but they must align their ambitions with a player preparing to lead his country into a home World Cup this summer.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 18

Friday

22.45: (6.50) Cagliari (3.80) Milan (1.65)

Saturday

14.30: (1.75) Como (3.80) Udinese (5.15)

17.00: (1.88) Genoa (3.35) Pisa (4.50)

17.00: (1.95) Sassuolo (3.50) Parma (4.40)

20.00: (1.27) Juventus (5.60) Lecce (12.0)

22.45: (2.35) Atalanta (3.40) Roma (3.25)

Sunday

14.30: (3.30) Lazio (3.10) Napoli (2.35)

17.00: (1.80) Fiorentina (3.60) Cremonese (5.10)

20.00: (2.65) Verona (3.05) Torino (2.90)

22.45: (1.43) Inter (4.50) Bologna (7.50)

***odds are subject to change***