Inter Milan won the Italian league last season and AC Milan finished the league last season from the second position but this season Inter Milan is in a good position but AC Milan is not in a good position. Although AC Milan is not performing well, the other teams in the league are performing well at the moment, so many people doubt that AC Milan will be between 1 and 5 in the points table this season. As you said AC Milan can come back to the league competition anytime but the problem here is if they take a long time to come back but they cannot secure a good position. To finish the season in a good position, they must return to good performances from now on. If they try and don't succeed, they can change their strategy and improve their performance.
Honestly, AC Milan is not in good form this season, and if they do not improve in time, they may find it difficult to end in the top four, as other big teams are doing well. In fact, this season, the top four will be more competitive than last season. Currently, Napoli and Atalanta are in great form, and they are the teams occupying the first and second positions. Considering the way these two teams are playing, it is very possible they will end up in the top four on the table this season.
With the look of things, Lazio is also trying to fight for the top four, and it is clear that Inter Milan may secure their spot in the top four. Additionally, Juventus will likely qualify for next season's Champions League. If AC Milan wants to end up in the top four, they have a lot of work to do. They need to start putting in more effort by winning match consistently.