AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has revealed that he will evaluate the condition of Brahim Diaz tomorrow before deciding whether he will play.
After two games of the Champions League group stages Milan had racked up four points and looked to be in pole position to progress to the knockout stages, but consecutive defeats against Chelsea has seen them drop to third.
That means the Rossoneri need to win against both Dinamo Zagreb tomorrow night in Croatia and Red Bull Salzburg next week at San Siro to guarantee passage through to the last 16 of the competition, but it will not be an easy task given Dinamo’s excellent record at home.
Stefano Pioli spoke to Sky Italia directly from Zagreb a few minutes before the pre-match press conference he did at the stadium, and his words to the channel were transcribed by MilanNews.
On the match: “We have an opportunity. The team has always exploited the possibilities. We know the difficulties because Dinamo are an excellent team and have not lost at home since December 2021. We expect a Champions League game that requires high-level performances. We are prepared for it.”
On Rebic: “He’s a great player. He’s fine. Great players are made to play these games and we have more than one. Of course we have to play as a team but the qualities of the individual can determine.”
On Dinamo Zagreb: “Dinamo usually wait a little longer to counter because they have a very fast striker, they make you play a little more. We will have to be careful and clear-headed in the transitions: it will be an important aspect.
“The game requires a lot of attention to detail: for both it is an almost decisive match for to reach the next round. We have our way of being on the pitch and we have built our identity over time: we have to do the things we know.”
On Brahim Diaz: “Brahim is better: tomorrow morning we will do a pre-match audition in the hotel. We hope he will be ok.”
On the positions: “We tried different positions for tomorrow’s game. We can be dangerous up front if we keep a certain breadth and depth, even with the plays between the lines.”
