SM: Predicted Milan XI vs. Real Madrid – Fonseca decides on midfield configuration

Photo by Claudio Villa/AC Milan via Getty Images

AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca appears to have settled on the team that he will field tomorrow night against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It will be a tough test for Milan against the current and 15-time champions of Europe, made more difficult by the absence of Matteo Gabbia who is still coming back from a calf issue. Alessandro Florenzi and Ismael Bennacer are continuing their recovery after surgery too.

As reported by our correspondent Luca Maninetti, the current predicted line-up sees Mike Maignan in goal with Emerson Royal, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic and Theo Hernandez the back four. For Theo, it will be a return to his former club Real.

Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders are currently expected to be in the double pivot with Ruben Loftus-Cheek further forward as an attacking midfielder.

Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao should be on the right and left wings of the attack respectively, with another former Madridista in Alvaro Morata leading the line.

That means the likes of Tammy Abraham, Noah Okafor, Samuel Chukwueze – who knows Real Madrid well given his Villarreal past – and Yunus Musah represent options off the bench.

Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Morata.