Both Samuel Chukwueze and Christian Pulisic are battling to get a starting place against Stade Rennes in the Europa League on Thursday night.
As reported by Milan News, Stefano Pioli has got a decision to make when it comes to the right winger against the French side on Thursday. His two clear options are Chukwueze and Pulisic, a choice that has not been available to him a lot recently.
Chukwueze has been at the Africa Cup of Nations and he did get the chance to start against Monza on Sunday night, but he failed to impress and had to be replaced but Christian Pulisic who came on and scored twice.
In terms of form, Pulisic is the clear choice, but Milan are 3-0 up from the first leg at San Siro and would need to turn in a really awful performance to end up failing to get into the Europa League round of 16.
That lends itself to Pioli giving Chukwueze the minutes as he seeks to click back into life at Milan after more than a month away on his home continent.
On the other hand, Milan now intend to take the Europa League very seriously given it is the only chance of winning a trophy.
Just play both and keep leao on the bench. We don’t need him, let him heal so he will be 100% for sunday game
Pulisic is BEAT. Can the man get a break?! We need Chuk to perform and carry that wing.
Agree. Leao and Chuk to start. Okafor and Puli to come in later, the latter only if needed. Chuk needs more time.
I agree. Let Chukwueze start and get minutes, and if the team blows a THREE TO NOTHING lead, Pulisic can come off the bench.
I also believe that Leao should be rested, so maybe give Okafor another chance. Again, Leao can come off the bench if needed.
The trick is, let Giroud start, with a youngster to back him, and put out our best back seven. No Thiaw, no Adli. Whomever is our best back four and best three midfielders, THAT is where we must be at our strongest.
Again, we are protecting a three to nil lead in this tie. Controlling the match and forcing Rennes to come to us is our purogative. If nothing else, Okafor and Chuk are fast, so let’s give those two a chance to hit Rennes on the counterattack. If they are useless, then Pulisic and Leao have to put in another half-shift.
didnt look BEAT against Monza… He will get a break when the season is over
He looked beat at the end of the match after the massive effort down a man. Copa America this summer isn’t exactly going to be much of a break either.
If he makes it to the end injury free 🙂
Pioli should to integrate the bench one sub at a time. Like, start Leao, Giroud and Chuk. Next game start Leao Jovic and Puli. Then Okafor Giroud and Puli, and so on, so these players have familiarity playing with one another.
On Thursday we just need to sit deep and counter. Rennes has to do all the work. We just hit them on the break with speed.
It’s not quite so simple I’d think. With such a rotation there is no base 3.
I personally think Inzaghi has cracked the code with programmed subs and rare thoughtful changes to the starters.
Dimarco and Darmian can run themselves ragged for 60 knowing they are coming off at 60. Calanoglu on the other hand conserves knowing he is unlikely to come off thus makes more targeted efforts.
How much better would we be now if Jo ic got consistent 30 minute shifts most games? Same for Okay and Chuk?
Pioli seems to react to situations far more than he executes a plan. And the result seems to be less integrated squad players and overworked starters.
yes he should
If not for the need to rest players, I don’t think this is much of a competition atm with what Chuck has shown so far. I wasn’t one of those advocates for his signature, but I wouldn’t lie, I was excited with his arrival.He needs to step up big time
Give one last chance to Chukwueze, if he is underwhelming again, sell him in the summer
Like CDK? Technically Chuk has already done more than CDK did in his first season. The kid deserves at least two full seasons with the first team before passing judgment.
Why don’t you guys realise that CDL simple doesnt fit our formation? If he was with us today he wouldn’t be nearly as successful as he is at Atalanta. He just doesnt fit the formation, as we don’t play with a second striker. Chukwueze is a player who perfectly fits the formation, he’s a right winger, and we play with wingers. And it’s not like Chukwueze is this super young player who needs time to get used to the big games. He has played in the UCL, he has played in the ko stages of the UCL, he has played in the UEL. He’s 24 so he’s not even that young, while CDK was 21 when he joined us. Chukwueze doesnt have many excuses, if he was actually good he should be performing well by now. He hasn’t, so as I said let’s give him one last chance against Rennes, and he he gets to play with Leão (and I want Giroud to start), that way he gets a chance to play with our first choice players again. If he flops again, we should sell him., without giving him “at least two full seasons” , and let his value depreciate even further, become Samu Castillejo and finally end up selling him for 2 or 3 million.
Main concern about Chuk is that he did not show ANY signs of talent…
He started afcon as a starter and got benched right after second game in group stage and almost didn’t play so far…
If I were Pioli I would learn from Monza mistake and I would start the best possible starters for the first half and score at least one goal. Then from second half, I would start subs ONE-BY-ONE, not 4 players at once ffs.
But I am not Pioli 🥴
Field a defensive lineup. Contain the 3-0. It’s Rennes that has to do all the work.
Avoid the Deportivo LaCoruña repeat (if any of you even remember that)
I wasn’t born but my dad just randomly showed me games I didn’t know about when I was younger and when I saw that Deportivo defeat without any prior knowledge I deadass cried bruv. It was so damn sad.
You just stuck a dagger in my side.
I remember it well. I was 37. and it was the same year that Real Madrid blew a two goal lead against Monaco.
Oh, you again. Mr.Clown!
‘Field a defensive lineup’ haha
Reminds me of Roma game last season.
We were up by 2:0 and set up defensive lineup in second half and invited them to rape us. Aaand they did lol
Let’s repeat it yeah?
You are questioning my football knowledge with THIS BRAIN??? Jeeez
I’m sure you’re fun at parties, but you have a footballing IQ of a frozen yogurt, man. 🙂
@ACM1899, again football IQ? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Don’t you have better come back?
You don’t use the word “rape” like that
Yeah I remember that. And that was a world class squad that lost that game. That was the year Mourinho’s Porto won the CL against Monaco, two unfancied teams. If we hadn’t gotten eliminated by Deportiv0, I think we could have won it all. The crazy thing is that Milan could well have gone to 5 CL finals in a row: 2003 (we won), 2004 (dropping 4-1 lead to Porto), 2005 (we lost), 2006 (we got eliminated in the semis by a perfectly good Shevchenko away goal that was somehow disallowed at Barcelona), 2007 (we won).
That one year we were Bonafide beast team in the world by a country mile. We were also the best team in the world the year we lost against pool. The times we won with Ancelotti we probably weren’t the best team in Europe. Funny how it all works.
please no!
DLC lost is hurt, but do U remember vs Roma?
and vs Liverpool we lost the final because we play defensive in 2nd half.
Rennes is no Liverpool. Hell, they aren’t even as good as Roma. I am not worried.
Sit deep and counter. But Pioli won’t do that. He’ll stick to our identity and play his possession style football again. Let’s see how it goes.
The bottom line is, the pressure won’t be on us.
Not sure I completely agree because we essentially have a 3 goal head start.
Puli asked for a rest on the weekend. It was interrupted and he made 70 minutes effort in 45 min.
Chuk could use a soft target for his confidence and honestly to figure out where the heck he is supposed to be on the field during the build up. SMH he continues to run into his own Ayers on the touch line a couple times a game!
So Chuk is someone id like to see on the field mostly so Puli is not.
And I admit to feeling a bit dirty about commenting on the clickbait of a false competition. Slow news day 🙂
There is no battle between Pulisic and Chuku. One is a top class player who scores bangers with either foot and the other is one footed wonder that can barely score with his good foot. It’s just wheter or not Puli needs a rest. But there is no battle.
I agree with Mirjalol, start the game with your best front three, and let them take advantage of Rennes taking chances to score (they have to as it’s their only chance to advance). If we can go in at half with a lead start substituting the front three one at a time over the first 20 min of the 2nd half.