Some may have done a double take when looking at the 21-man matchday squad and seeing the name of Marco Frigerio named by Stefano Pioli among them.
As PianetaMilan reports, it is in fact the third consecutive game that Frigerio has been included, borne out of the absence of almost the entire midfield barring Franck Kessie.
Nonetheless, it is an experience that will bring fundamental experience for the growth of such a young prospect. Frigerio boasts 50 appearances with Federico Giunti’s Primavera team, in which he has scored three goals, and his natural position is as a holding midfielder.
This season he has made three appearances for the Primavera including two in the league and one in the cup, scoring once. In both league games he played as the right of the midfield three in Giunti’s 4-3-2-1 Christmas Tree formation, which is his natural position in that particular system given he is right-footed.
That is also his more natural position because he has more forward-leaning tendencies than Primavera captain Alessio Brambilla, who is the deep-lying playmaker in the middle of the trio and tends to sit a bit deeper.
While we wait for the 19-year-old to continue learning and growing at the right pace in the youth sector, it is no doubt a valuable opportunity for him to get a taste of a big matchday at San Siro and he will sit among some players with valuable knowledge and experience.
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