AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli will be forced into a change in the defensive department for Saturday evening’s derby against Inter.
The international break has now ended, and from tomorrow Pioli will have the full squad available at Milanello to begin preparing for the game against Inter, which will be played at 18:00 CEST at San Siro.
MilanNews reports that in addition to the long-term injury Ismael Bennacer is recovering from, the Rossoneri coach will have to do without two central defenders: the suspended Fikayo Tomori and the injured Pierre Kalulu.
Mike Maignan will therefore have a pairing of Malick Thiaw and Simon Kjaer ahead of him with Davide Calabria and Theo Hernandez as the full-backs.
The rest of the team should then be unchanged with Rade Krunic at the base of a three-man midfield completed by Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tijjani Reijnders.
Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud – who will shake off an ankle issue – and Rafael Leao are the expected attacking trident.
Probable Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Kjaer, Theo Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao.
Bench: Sportiello, Mirante, Florenzi, Pellegrino, Simic, Adli, Pobega, Zeroli, Musah, Chukwueze, Okafor, Luka Romero, Jovic, Chaka Traore.
I pray for Kjaer….. no other choice.
If pioli doesn’t want to risk starting Pellegrino, better go for simic. I really don’t want to see kjear anywhere near that Squad. His career is already retired while he’s still playing.
This is Kjaer that pocketed Harry Kane in the Champions League last season, right? Milan played better defensively when Kjaer played last season than when he did not. Yes, he has lost a step but I feel more comfortable with him at CB than Kalulu. Kalulu should be a RB.
Kjaer is far better than tomori each time I looked at him I see Thiago Silva he has techniques infact he is Acmilan senior defenders somebody that is captain his country side Denmark because of his solidity. Tomori does not have a country talk more of captaining England.
Kjear can not stop Martinez, d Argentina guy should play
It will be great to see Kjaer back if he really does start! Milan always play better with him. He’s technically gifted compared to the other CBs.