AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has explained his decision to play Yacine Adli from the start for the first time this season.
Adli quickly settled into Milanello as he spent the full preseason with his new club following a loan spell at Bordeaux in 2021-22, but Pioli has used him sparingly thus far with a couple of cameos off the bench being his only playing time.
That will change tonight though as the young Frenchman will start from minute one against Hellas Verona at the Bentegodi, with Pioli fielding him as the attacking midfielder behind striker Olivier Giroud.
Pioli was interviewed by DAZN before the game against Verona at the Bentegodi, with his comments transcribed by MilanNews and translated below.
What did the defeat to Chelsea leave behind? “A great motivation. Tonight is another game, we have put aside the Champions League. Now it is too important to face this match.”
On playing Adli from the start: “It’s not that he was missing something, we need to give these guys time to adapt to a new way of living, of playing, to a new team. He has always been very attentive and available.”
What are you asking of him tonight? “He will play as an attacing midfielder. He knows how to do everything, he knows how to go deep, he knows how to play between the lines, he knows how to send his teammates on goal. We expect few spaces, he could give us the right bet.”
On Giroud: “Nobody is indispensable. Oli is fine, Origi and Rebic are fine and their moment will soon come from the start.”
