AC Milan are heading into the final stretch of pre-season with their squad in flux, and the situation around Rafael Leao is defining the mood at Milanello. The Portuguese forward has picked up an injury that rules him out of Saturday's friendly against Manchester United, and the timing is awkward given that Ruben Amorim has reportedly given the green light to sell him, with Milan now lowering their asking price to push a deal through before the window closes.

Amorim has been reshaping his squad with purpose. Christopher Nkunku, who arrived from Chelsea just a year ago, has been placed on the transfer list alongside Fofana and Emi Tomori. The decisions reflect a clear-out mentality from the new manager, who used the 3-0 pre-season loss to Chelsea in Jakarta as a marker for who fits his plans. That result was a setback, with Leao described as peripheral and Francesco Camarda struggling in support of Goncalo Ramos.

Not every call has pointed toward the exit door. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, considered a certain departure days ago, has been pulled back into Amorim's plans, while Adrien Rabiot is being lined up for a new role as a trequartista. Mike Maignan, who is dealing with his own unsettled situation amid reported Saudi interest, is not expected back at Milanello until August 16, leaving him with barely a week to prepare for the Serie A opener at Torino on August 23.

Milan finished fifth last season and face another year in the Europa League. With the squad still unsettled and key decisions unresolved, the start of the new campaign cannot come soon enough.