AC Milan return to Serie A action this weekend against Venezia, and with some important games awaiting the Rossoneri, Paulo Fonseca may rotate his squad slightly to prioritise the upcoming fixtures.
The footballing calendar is never generous, but it could be argued that it has been on this occasion. Milan face the Venice outfit before difficult games against Liverpool and Inter, which could dictate the season further than it has been.
Those games could also be the deciding factor in Paulo Fonseca’s future, with reports suggesting he has 14 days to save his job.
Therefore, the importance of returning with a winning start cannot be understated, and Corriere dello Sport (via Pianeta Milan) write that the Portuguese coach will start a near full-strength eleven.
The defensive structure needs to continue, especially with the same players, and Fonseca will continue with Mike Maignan, Emerson Royal, Tomori, Pavlovic and Theo Hernandez – who will return after last weekend’s controversy.
Even though Youssouf Fofana is not at 100%, Fofana is expected to start alongside Tijjani Reijnders – which is somewhat of a risk. Ruben Loftus-Cheek will start in the Trequartista role. However, there could be some movement between the English and Dutch duo.
Samuel Chukwueze is not expected to return until midweek, but he should start ahead of Christian Pulisic due to the American returning later. Rafael Leao will also return to the starting lineup, and Tammy Abraham should start his first game in Rossoneri colours.