AC Milan face Torino on Friday night, and Stefano Pioli is expected to restore Rafael Leao to his starting XI while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back on the bench.
The Rossoneri are looking to put an end to a negative run of results in recent weeks, with our last win coming on January 4 as we’ve drawn two games and lost five across all competitions since.
READ MORE: Pioli confirms good news as Milan quartet to provide timely boost
That in turn has resulted in pressure building on Pioli and the players to turn things around and get back on track, and while it promises to be a difficult task against Torino with confidence so low, it’s important that we bounce back this week and start to build some momentum again.
The Milan boss shared positive news on the injury front in his press conference on Thursday, as per MilanNews, as he confirmed that Ibrahimovic would be in the squad while Ismael Bennacer and Fikayo Tomori are expected to return next week for our Champions League tie with Tottenham.
He also delivered a positive update on Mike Maignan, albeit without a potential return date, and so it’s hoped that we now move towards getting a full-strength squad back together which will be huge in our bid to rediscover our best form.
Four changes, Leao to return to Milan XI
With Maignan still sidelined for now, Ciprian Tatarusanu will continue between the posts, while Sky Sport Italia have reported, via MilanNews, that the Rossoneri could stick with a back three as Pioli looks for solutions in a different system.
Malick Thiaw is tipped to get a start, and he could partner Simon Kjaer and Pierre Kalulu in that new-look backline.
Across the four-man midfield, Alexis Saelemaekers and Theo Hernandez will act as wing-backs to provide width, with Sandro Tonali, Rade Krunic and Brahim Diaz playing through the middle.
Up top, Leao is expected to return to the starting line-up and partner Olivier Giroud, with Ibrahimovic naturally only fit enough for the bench given his lack of playing time over the last eight months.
Predicted Milan XI vs Torino: Tatarusanu; Thiaw, Kjaer, Kalulu; Saelemaekers, Tonali, Krunic, Theo Hernandez; Diaz, Giroud, Leao.
La Gazzetta dello Sport have gone with the same predicted Milan XI, as seen in the graphic below, and so it’s hoped that if this is what Pioli ultimately decides on, it’s enough to get three important points and begin our fightback in the battle for a top-four finish in Serie A.
