AC Milan’s attempt to win the 2023/24 Coppa Italia begins tonight against Cagliari at San Siro and the game represents a chance to get 2024 off to a winning start.
The Rossoneri did not end 2023 in good shape but after beating Sassuolo 1-0, there is the chance to build a run of momentum and also get a step closer to winning a trophy.
In order to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, where Atalanta or Sassuolo await, Milan must win all of their individual battles around the pitch against Cagliari. The Rossoneri are going to be starting with a handful of youngsters in the squad who have a lot to prove.
One of them is Luka Romero who is set to start in the No.10 role. He will try and create as much as he can for the forwards around him, but Antoine Makoumbou will be doing what he can to limit Romero’s space to work in.
Another young player who wants to keep building his reputation is Jan-Carlo Simic. He is set for his first Milan start and he will be pleased about the time he has spent in the gym because he will have the task of handling the muscular Andrea Petagna.
Alongside Simic, Theo Hernandez is having to play at centre-back again and he will have some inexperienced players around him. Whilst guiding others through the game, Hernandez will also need to control Zito Luvumbo who is Cagliari’s other striker.
The Africa Cup of Nations is calling for Samuel Chukwueze which means he is destined to start on the right before joining up with the Nigeria squad. Tonight, he will be trying to build his confidence by running rings around Adam Obert.
Finally, Luka Jovic is getting a rare start in place of Olivier Giroud and he will need to ensure he gets the better of Mateusz Wieteska. Jovic is still playing to secure a new contract with the club as he is only on a one-year deal, and this is exactly the kind of game he was signed for.
