AC Milan host Genoa on Sunday, and here’s how Stefano Pioli’s starting line-up could look for the Serie A encounter.
The Rossoneri have already secured Champions League football for next season, and so the focus now is finishing second and amid speculation suggesting that Stefano Pioli could depart this summer, ending his tenure on a positive note.
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Having battled for a point at Juventus last time out, albeit with another uninspiring performance, the focus will be on getting back to winning ways this weekend against a Genoa side pushing to break into the top half of the standings.
With the pressure off and nothing to lose for the visitors, it could prove to be a tricky test for Milan, and so it’s vital that we produce a solid display and key players step up and deliver.
As per MilanNews, Mike Maignan, Simon Kjaer, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Luka Jovic are all ruled out due to injury, while suspension ensures that neither David Calabria nor Yunus Musah will feature.
There is better news though with Theo Hernandez and Fikayo Tomori returning from their own suspensions, and they’ll be expected to come straight back into the side to bolster our defence as two of three changes in total.
Marco Sportiello will continue to deputise for Maignan between the posts after his MVP award following a top display in Turin, while versatile stalwart Alessandro Florenzi is expected to switch flanks and be deployed at right-back with Matteo Gabbia completing the backline ahead of Malick Thiaw.
The expectation is that the same midfield pivot of Yacine Adli and Tijjani Reijnders will start, but with Loftus-Cheek unavailable, that could see Christian Pulisic shifted inside into a more central role, with Samuel Chukwueze and Rafael Leao providing width and a threat down the flanks.
Olivier Giroud will continue to provide the focal point up top, and so hopefully this side has the necessary balance and quality in both phases to get all three points.
La Gazzetta dello Sport have gone with the same expected Milan starting line-up, and so it will be interesting to see if Pioli goes with this XI on Sunday evening and is able to oversee a morale-boosting victory after some difficult results and as rumours continue to swirl around his future.