Stefano Pioli has begun his tactical experimentations ahead of the trip to face Fiorentina on Saturday night, according to a report.
Gianluca Di Marzio writes on his website PazzaDiFanta that Ismael Bennacer and Davide Calabria are back in full training and will be available for the game against La Viola, which is a dress rehearsal for the Champions League last 16 second leg against Spurs next Wednesday.
The Algerian midfielder and the Italian full-back will therefore return but there will be no Rafael Leao or Rade Krunic who are disqualified.
In training today Pioli began testing potential formations, with Mike Maignan in goal and Pierre Kalulu, Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori in defence. There is a battle between Calabria and Alexis Saelemaekers for the right wing-back role, with Theo Hernandez on the opposite flank.
Sandro Tonali and Bennacer will play in the centre, while in attack Olivier Giroud was flanked by Charles De Ketelaere and Ante Rebic in the team tried in training.
Tomorrow Pioli could also try Divock Origi as a striker, but at the moment the Frenchman remains the favourite to start. As far as Zlatan Ibrahimovic is concerned, the Swede obviously doesn’t have the match fitness to start from the first minute uet and could enter during the match.
Finally, there could yet be a spot for Simon Kjaer, but lately he seems to have been surpassed by Malick Thiaw in the hierarchies.
Probable Milan XI (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Kalulu, Thiaw, Tomori; Calabria (Saelemaekers), Tonali, Bennacer, Theo Hernandez; De Ketelaere, Giroud, Rebic
Messias?
Kjaer is not the same player he was before his injury! It seems like he lacks the confidence on the field… but still he is a descent back up and I hope he stays next year, cause we will need him and Gabbia!
I don’t think it’s confidence. He’s suffered an ACL injury at 33. He wasn’t the paciest player prior to the injury and has probably lost another step since. In the end speed is extremely important. All of our CBs are fast now. They can press and recover. I do agree that he is a good presence to have on the squad and should be a useful bench player along with Gabbia next season. I think our CB group is already set for next season.
His performance against Spurs was impeccable!