AC Milan face Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday night in their final Champions League game before the first phase finishes, and some clues have arrived about Sergio Conceicao’s selections.
The main headache for Conceicao concerns the right-back role, with Emerson Royal injured and Davide Calabria suspended, while Alex Jimenez is not in the UCL squad and Kyle Walker hasn’t been registered yet.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
In addition, there are the injuries of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Malick Thiaw and Alessandro Florenzi, though the former two are expected back in the coming days.
The predicted XIs
According to the latest from Sky and MilanNews, the way that Conceicao intends to deal with the issue on the right side of defence is by playing Fikayo Tomori there as a full-back. Matteo Gabbia, Strahinja Pavlovic and Theo Hernandez are expected to keep their places.
The midfield three that both have is Yunus Musah as the right mezzala, Tijjani Reijnders as the left and Youssouf Fofana down the middle. As a reminder, Fofana will miss Sunday’s derby against Inter due to suspension.
In attack, Alvaro Morata will lead the line once again, preferred to Tammy Abraham. Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao should flank him as the right and left wingers respectively.
Predicted Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Musah, Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Morata, Leao.
This looks promising, they will surely bring home all 3 points ❤️🖤
Could be an interesting opportunity to try out 3-4-3, if Gabbia is the middle CB, Pavlo is to his left and Tomori to his right. Meanwhile Theo can be LWB and Musah the RWB.
Well said,I have long to see Milan play in that format 343 I feel that is what formation the quality of the player at the club can perform better.
technically RLC also played RWB role at Chelsea and quite well. maybe that’s what Musah and RLC needed all this time…
lowkey I think Calabria also as RCB would look better, he won’t be caught that much out of position as he usually is.
RLC is terrible at defense
I want to get rid of him, since he came. I just want to see him actually be worth the salary he’s stealing from us…
Calabria played in RCB position a few occasions under Pioli and he blundered badly in all of them. That 5’7 small, slow and weak player can’t play there for sure
you call him weak but when he’s not out of position his defending is solid… idk if you just spectate via highlights but Calabria’s only positive point are his tackles and 1v1 defending…
Small and weak, he was out best defender in our title winning campaign and after, the season before as well. You must have a short memory or you just didn’t watch glory hunter. Fcuk off
Exactly, Ive never been a fan of a back 3 but I think it really suits our players strenghts.
Theo and Jimenez as wing backs is eciting, obviously not this game.
This why I was so mad to see Kalulu pushed out, he was made for the right of a back 3 and it would have balanced out Theo on the other side
I think this is a kind of hybrid 343 where Theo attacks, Musah steps out wide and Tomori stays back.
Good potential to make big pressing against Dinamo, who is in bad shape in last couple of games in UCL, specially against stronger teams. Three defenders, as Tomori on the right, Pavlo left and Gabbia, should stop any possibility against Dinamo to score goal, as Pioli did with three defender back in big crises.
and Musah together with Puli on right side, and Theo with Leao on left, should make big impact against them.
Later, Leao, Theo, Reijnders and Puli should be subbed off also with Musah.
It will be interesting to see (if this happens) Tomori engage in more interplay up the field. Or maybe he’ll hang back.
Let’s go. Forza Milan
Kalulu would come in handy right now
We let go kalulu to get Emerson Royal.
That will never make sence to me.
We should be able to take 3 points even though Tomori will not be able to contribute in offence, i hope to see a cafu version of him though 🤣
Play the formation that suits us to win, but it will matter not once Walker gets here, 4-4-2 is promising on counter attack
Tomo/ Terra/ Musa
Tomori might excellent at RB.. he might be another abate. Excellent speed and average defending.
In Abate’s case below average. Abate was good going forward but he was literally Emerson Royal on defense
Bruh, tomori can not time his passes to save his life, just gotta pray he doesn’t screw up defending