Stefano Pioli believes Milan are capable of going beyond the 85-point mark in Serie A and insists that is the target as a title battle with Napoli looms.
There are other teams who could also be a factor, but Napoli are the side who have made a flying start, and defending champions Milan were their closest challengers heading into this weekend.
The Rossoneri head coach says it is not essential that his team head the table when the World Cup break comes around next month, but he is wary of letting Napoli build any sort of substantial lead.
Luciano Spalletti's team have already beaten Milan this season, which remains the only league defeat suffered by Pioli's men through 11 rounds of games.
On Sunday, Milan head to Torino, and they only managed a goalless draw in the corresponding game last season.
With only three more Serie A matchdays remaining after this weekend before the World Cup leads to a seven-week pause, Pioli wants Milan to go into the interval on a high.
"We started at the beginning of the season with two objectives: to be as advanced as possible in the league on November 13 and to overcome the group in the Champions League," Pioli said.
Milan will have achieved the second of those aims if they avoid defeat to Salzburg at San Siro on Wednesday, as the games come thick and fast.
"We have many important games in a few days, but the team are doing well," Pioli said. "I have players who are available and strong.
"I will field those who I consider appropriate to win these challenges. Tomorrow is the most important, we are prepared to face it in the best possible way.
"We need to score as many points as possible. It will not be decisive to be first on November 13, but you have to get above 85 points. The more games you win now, the better."
It is not always the case, but passing 85 points is usually enough to land a Scudetto. The last team to top that mark but miss out on the title were Napoli in the 2017-18 season, when they posted 91 but finished four points behind Juventus.
Milan accumulated 86 points last term to pip Inter by two points.
Torino sit 10th in the table, and Pioli said Milan would need to show "quality and personality" on Sunday, predicting heavy pressure from the hosts.
"We want to give continuity by looking for a streak of results as long as possible. Napoli are doing very well and winning on Sunday would be important," Pioli said.
Brahim Diaz, who scored twice in the 4-1 win over Monza last weekend before being substituted with a muscle injury, has been passed fit for the game in Turin.
Relieved Carsley keen to help incoming England boss Tuchel
Lee Carsley is eager to offer information and assistance to England's incoming head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Carsley signed off as England's interim manager with an impressive 5-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland, who were reduced to 10 men.
All of England's goals came in the second half at Wembley, where Harry Kane's opener was swiftly built upon by maiden international goals for Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
The victory ensured the Three Lions were promoted back to the top tier of the Nations League ahead of Tuchel's official arrival as coach in January.
And while Carsley hinted he has not loved his time in charge of the senior side, he is keen to give Tuchel a helping hand when the German starts.
"The pool of players has increased," Carsley told BBC Radio 5 Live, having handed out eight debuts in total across his spell in charge.
"I'll give him as much information that he needs.
"I have enjoyed it in parts, the games have always been the best bit.
"I am still gutted about the Greece game at home, if anything I am not thinking about the five wins, it is the one we have lost."
Greece beat England at Wembley last month, but the Three Lions bounced back on Thursday with a 3-0 win in Athens, paving the way for victory over Ireland to ensure their promotion from League B.
"We spoke about it at the first press conference, about gaining promotion in the Nations League, and it was a relief if I'm honest," said Carsley.
"I don't think you can ever get too excited, the performance against Greece was so good. For at least three minutes on the coach driving to the airport I was excited, but then I was thinking we have got another game.
"I enjoyed watching the lads, to play with the aggression and intent that they played with.
"I loved the reaction from the crowd at half-time. If they had got a bit nervy that would have transferred to the players. I think they could tell the players were playing with intent."
England's win was the biggest by a manager in their final match with the Three Lions since Graham Taylor in November 1993 (7-1 v San Marino).
On what was their 19th meeting, this was England’s biggest ever victory over Ireland.
Having been 0-0 at half-time, this was also England’s biggest ever margin of victory (five) in a game that had been goalless at the break.
Haaland plunders hat-trick as Norway seal Nations League promotion
Norway made light work of Kazakhstan as Erling Haaland's hat-trick inspired them to a 5-0 victory in the Nations League on Sunday.
Without absent captain Martin Odegaard, Norway were skippered by Haaland at Ullevaal Stadion, where the Manchester City forward netted his 25th career hat-trick.
Haaland took his total of international goals to 38 in 39 appearances by scoring twice in the first half before rounding off his star turn in the 71st minute.
The 24-year-old now has 22 goals in all competitions for club and country this season, and is the leading scorer in the Nations League with seven strikes to his name.
Alexander Sorloth scored Norway's third goal, while Antonio Nusa, who was heavily involved in both of Haaland's first-half efforts, got in on the act in the 76th minute.
Norway's victory ensured they finished top of Group B3 on 13 points, two ahead of Austria, therefore promoting Stale Solbakken's team to League A.
England 5-0 Republic of Ireland: Carsley signs off with Nations League promotion
Lee Carsley signed off as England's interim manager with an emphatic 5-0 win over 10-man Republic of Ireland that sealed the Three Lions' Nations League promotion.
England took advantage of Liam Scales' sending-off with a ruthless second-half attacking display, with four first-time scorers helping to secure top spot in Group B2 and passage back to League A.
The first half was tight, with few chances for either side after Curtis Jones' early strike was deflected wide before Kyle Walker headed over from the resulting corner.
Yet the floodgates opened with three goals in the space of five minutes after the break.
Scales received a second yellow card for tripping Jude Bellingham in the box, and Harry Kane marked his return to the side by expertly dispatching the penalty.
Anthony Gordon volleyed in his first England goal shortly after, before Conor Gallagher was alert to meet Marc Guehi's flick-on at a corner.
Jarrod Bowen then made an instant impact after his introduction, sweeping a Bellingham corner through the crowd with his first touch of the match.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis rounded things off in the 79th minute, grabbing a debut goal as he thumped a header past Caoimhin Kelleher from six yards out after meeting another Bellingham corner.
Data Debrief: First time for everything
Carsley said on Saturday that he believed he was leaving the England squad in a good place for incoming boss Thomas Tuchel, having widened the pool of young players.
He has certainly done his bit, handing out eight senior debuts in all, with Tino Livramento and Harwood-Bellis the players to benefit against Ireland.
Meanwhile, in Gordon, Gallagher, Bowen, and Harwood-Bellis, four players have scored their first England goal in the same game for the first time since October 1930 v Northern Ireland, when Harry Burgess, Jimmy Hampson, Sammy Crooks, Eric Houghton were on target.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Kyle Walker made his 38th England appearance at Wembley, overtaking Wayne Rooney's total at the venue (37) – only Peter Shilton (52), Bobby Charlton (44), Bobby Moore (43), and Stuart Pearce (41) have now played there more often for the Three Lions.
Carsley, who has collected the biggest win as an interim England boss since Graham Taylor oversaw a 7-1 victory over San Marino in 1993, started his short reign with a win over Ireland in September, and England have now won three consecutive games against them for the very first time.
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