The second Zlatan Ibrahimovic era will begin at AC Milan on Monday as the Rossoneri host struggling Sampdoria at San Siro.
Milan will be looking to put memories of the 5-0 thrashing they received against Atalanta in Bergamo firmly in the background and build on the good signs that were seen prior to that game.
Stefano Pioli almost has a clean bill of health and a full squad to choose from, however Leo Duarte remains out with an achilles tendon issue which could see him sidelined until March. There are no suspensions to deal with.
The big question is whether Pioli will insert Ibrahimovic from the start over Krzysztof Piatek. The Swede played 45 minutes in a friendly on Friday, scoring and getting an assist, with the most recent reports suggesting he is set to start from the first minute on Monday.
For the away side, Claudio Ranieri is expected to be without Edgar Barreto and Alex Ferrari with both currently injured, while Andrea Bertolacci’s return to San Siro also looks likely to be a non-playing one as he continues individual recovery.
Meanwhile, Gianluca Caprari is also suspended and continues to be linked with a move away from Samp.
Probable AC Milan XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Conti, Musacchio, Romagnoli, Theo Hernandez; Kessié, Bennacer, Bonaventura; Suso, Ibrahimovic, Calhanoglu.
Probable Sampdoria XI (4-3-1-2): Audero; Depaoli, Colley, Murillo, Murru; Linetty, Ekdal, Jankto; Ramirez; Gabbiadini, Quagliarella.
