AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao is expected to tweak the side slightly for tonight’s game against Napoli, according to a report.
Milan managed to clinch two consecutive wins before the international break against Lecce and Como, but this promises to be a different test entirely against a team pushing for the title.
Predicted starting XIs
As a reminder, the only player that Conceicao will have to do without is Yunus Musah, who got a yellow card against Como and thus will miss out due to a suspension.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), the coach will go with a back four of Kyle Walker, Matteo Gabbia, Malick Thiaw and Theo Hernandez ahead of Mike Maignan.
Warren Bondo is expected to act as a defensive midfielder with Tijjani Reijnders and Ruben Loftus-Cheek slightly more advanced. Christian Pulisic on the right, Joao Felix on the left and Tammy Abraham up front complete the side.
The current doubts at the moment concern whether Loftus-Cheek, Bondo or Youssouf Fofana will play, as well as Joao Felix over Rafael Leao on the wing.
Predicted Milan XI (4-1-4-1): Maignan; Walker, Gabbia, Thiaw, Theo Hernandez; Bondo; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Reijnders, Joao Felix; Abraham.
Predicted Napoli XI (4-2-4): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Gilmour, Lobotka; Politano, Lukaku, Raspadori, McTominay.
Interesting
More like stupid. Joao Felix over Leao? Milan should play with Bondo and Fofana in the double pivot to cover the defense with Pulisic and Leao on the wings and Reinjders and Abraham.
‘Leao doesn’t track back enough so we’ll play Felix instead’ is a heck of a vibe…
Conceiceo and Felix. I don’t what is the rational behind fielding this guy. Felix didn’t have the legs and strength to withstand serie A.
Being scottish im happy to watch the game with gilmour and mctominay playing. Dont expect us to do much against napoli but you never know. With leao and giminez benched potentially. We could see them impacting the game later… and id like to see florenzi get some time replacing walker or even as the dm.
With a Napoli who as of late has been known to “let the foot off the pedal” after 60 mins may be an opportunity for Gimenez and Leao to come in and change the game. At the same time, Concecao has gotten his first XI totally wrong almost every game, making him having to sub in at half time. We will have to see