AC Milan face a decisive showdown with Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday night with so much at stake at the business end of the season.
The Rossoneri remain in second place in the Serie A standings with just six games remaining, but fifth-placed Napoli are now just three points behind us.
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With games against Lazio, Juventus and Atalanta still on our schedule, it promises to be a difficult few weeks for Milan and Stefano Pioli, as we hope to hold on to our top-four position to qualify for the Champions League.
What hasn’t helped in recent weeks is the number of injuries that we’ve suffered to key individuals in the squad.
Theo Hernandez, Ismael Bennacer and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all absent in the defeat to Sassuolo last time out, and given how important they are to us in both phases of the game, it’s imperative that we get them back as soon as possible.
As per MilanNews, it’s expected that Pioli will receive a boost from Bennacer who is being tipped to recover in time to feature in the capital which is crucial in itself, but it’s suggested that both Hernandez and Ibrahimovic remain doubtful and late calls will be made on the pair.
Naturally, for such a difficult game and with what is at stake, it’s hoped that the key duo can recover in time to join Bennacer back in the starting XI, but at this stage, it doesn’t seem likely given the current status.
Elsewhere, little else is expected to change from our last game, as seen in the graphic below from La Gazzetta dello Sport, but there is hopefully one major switch that Pioli makes with Rafael Leao not starting up front again having been entirely ineffectual in the last two games.
Mario Mandzukic has gradually been working towards full match fitness, and so it’s hoped that the Croatian stalwart is fit enough to start and give us as many minutes as possible with Leao perhaps a choice off the bench to make an impact late on if needed.
Time will tell what Pioli goes for, but he can certainly expect a reaction from Lazio after their 5-2 defeat to Napoli in midweek, while they know a win here would bring them right back into the mix for the top four too as they also still have a game in hand.
