AC Milan are competing on two different fronts as they look to finish in the top four in Serie A and reach the Champions League final, with Stefano Pioli to rely on his irreplaceables.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport writes how Pioli will cling to the players he trusts most in order to try and achieve both objectives, and it is clear from his use of the squad which members of the squad he considers his starters.
The Milan players who have played more than 2,000 minutes so far this season are Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez, Sandro Tonali and Pierre Kalulu. The first three are immovable starts, but for Kalulu the story is a bit different since Simon Kjaer returned and started doing well.
The players with the most minutes in the Champions League are Rafael Leao and again Tonali. The two of them are the symbol of this Milan, because of their talent and potential but also attachment to the shirt and the project.
Then there are the experienced squad members like Kjaer who rose to the occasion against Tottenham and Napoli, while Olivier Giroud’s sacrifice, goal scoring ability and trend for stepping up on the biggest stage continues even at the age of 36.
In the midfield Ismael Bennacer and Rade Krunic became almost interchangeable against the Neapolitans, while the performance of Tommaso Pobega against Bologna means he could become a solid alternative especially in the league where greater rotation will be needed.
Finally, it is right to mention Mike Maignan, who is not near the top in terms of playing time due to his injury but as always he has been tremendously decisive in the times he has been on the pitch.
