AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has made a number of changes to the starting line-up for this afternoon’s game against Empoli compared to the team that beat Slavia Praha.
Milan will be without the injured Tommaso Pobega as he continues his recovery, but also Rafael Leao and Alessandro Florenzi who were booked against Lazio and thus must serve a one-game ban.
Pioli has named a back four with three changes compared to Thursday night: Davide Calabria is in for Florenzi, while Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori are reunited as a pairing, taking the places of Matteo Gabbia and Simon Kjaer. Theo Hernandez completes the back four, with Mike Maignan in goal.
Ismael Bennacer and Tijjani Reijnders are the midfield double pivot, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek – who is Milan’s top scorer in 2024 – playing ahead of them in a more advanced role.
Christian Pulisic remains on the right wing, then there are two alterations to the attack: Noah Okafor takes the place of Leao, while Luka Jovic leads the line giving Olivier Giroud a break.
Official Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Bennacer, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Okafor; Jovic.
Bench: Sportiello, Mirante, Jimenez, Kalulu, Kjaer, Gabbia, Terracciano, Adli, Musah, Chukwueze, Giroud.
Official Empoli XI (4-3-2-1): Caprile; Ismajli, Walukiewicz, Luperto, Pezzella; Gyasi, Fazzini, Maleh; Cambiaghi, Żurkowski; Niang.
Bench: Berisha, Perisan; Bastoni, Bereszyński, Cacace, Ebuehi; Kovalenko; Cancellieri, Caputo, Cerri, Destro, Shpendi.
