AC Milan will play their first Serie A match of the new year in Sardinia on Friday night, taking on Cagliari.
Milan have established themselves as Scudetto contenders as we approach the halfway point in the campaign, but a potential season-defining stretch of games is approaching. It starts with a trip to face Cagliari away from home, a side that are looking to achieve safety more comfortably.
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Cagliari vs. Milan: Predicted starting XIs
As always for Massimiliano Allegri this season, it is a battle against various selection issues. The coach confirmed during his presser that Christopher Nkunku will miss out with an ankle issue, while Christian Pulisic is not 100% and Strahinja Pavlovic has a fever.
Niclas Füllkrug could make his debut, and Matteo Gabbia is also well enough to be on the bench. The other good news is that Rafael Leao is now back and – at least per the coach’s words – he is well enough to start.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), it will be a three-man defence for Milan of Fikayo Tomori, Koni De Winter and Pavlovic, with Mike Maignan between the posts. Alexis Saelemaekers and Davide Bartesaghi should be the wing-backs.
Youssouf Fofana returns to the midfield trio with Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot to his left. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to act behind Leao in a 3-5-1-1 system.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Loftus-Cheek, Leao.
Predicted bench: Terracciano, Pitarella, Athekame, Gabbia, Odogu, Estupinan, Jashari, Ricci, Castiello, Füllkrug, Pulisic.
Predicted Cagliari XI (4-2-3-1): Caprile; Zappa, Mina, Rodriguez, Obert; Adopo, Deiola; Palestra, Gaetano, Esposito; Kilicsoy.
Predicted bench: Radunovic, Ciocci, Idrissi, Prati, Di Pardo, Pavoletti, Cavuoti, Pintus, Rog, Mazzitelli, Luperto, Luvumbo, Liteta, Trepy, Borrelli.
Leao hasn’t played in a mo. Surely he doesn’t last long. Puli and Fullkrug in at the break? I don’t even know who else you throw on.
Useless, aimless player Rafael Leao I wish Milan sell him now
Not Aimless, he is averaging almost a goal contribution every 90 and has been out of his natural position all season
He destroys the whole chemistry of the team once he is on the field. Does nothing except to burst and run and aim for his luck. Lazy player he is. He is the 1st in this team to be sold, he should be have peaked by now, but he relies so much on his talent that he has become a normal player not worth th 10 shirt