After their victory against Empoli on Sunday, AC Milan cannot afford to celebrate for too long, as they have an important clash against Slavia Praha awaiting them on Thursday night.
The ‘business end of the season’ is proving to be just that for Milan, as they continue in their efforts to end the season on a high note. After overtaking Juventus with their result from Sunday, it is hoped it will provide the confidence to spur the side on to their objectives.
There have been many struggles for the Rossoneri this season, but at this stage, they cannot fall victim to congestion. As a result, the pressure, more so than ever, falls on Pioli to get his rotation spot on. Therefore, ahead of Thursday’s fixture, changes are expected.
As MilanNews writes, although they have a two-goal advantage, they are by no means through, so Pioli cannot afford to field a much weaker eleven.
So, it is likely there will only be a few changes to the side. Firstly, Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori could both be benched. Whilst they kept a clean sheet in their first game back as a pair, Pioli will not want to overuse them so quickly after their returns from injury – he may, instead, look to Simon Kjaer and Matteo Gabbia for this tie.
In midfield, there is a possibility that Yacine Adli returns to the starting eleven – he has recently become indispensable for Stefano Pioli, and it offers a chance for Ismael Bennacer to rest, given he has also struggled with injury recently.
Finally, Rafael Leao could return to start ahead of Noah Okafor after serving his suspension in Serie A this weekend. Additionally, Christian Pulisic could be rested to give Samuel Chukwueze a chance, but this is not as likely as Leao coming back into the starting squad. Olivier Giroud may return to lead the line in the place of Luka Jovic.
