Tomorrow, AC Milan will face Lazio for the second time in under a week, but it will not be the same team from the weekend’s game.
Changes were expected for this week’s game, and whilst Massimiliano Allegri does not have the depth to completely overturn the team, he can certainly make the odd change, as he is shown with the predicted lineup for tomorrow, as Sky reports (seen below).
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Lazio vs. Milan: Predicted XI
In fact, only Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic, Alexis Saelemaekers, Adrien Rabiot and Rafael Leao will keep their places, which is probably fewer than most expected.
An injury to Youssouf Fofana has not helped things, and he will be replaced by Samuele Ricci, whilst Ardon Jashari will give Luka Modric a chance to rest. Koni De Winter, for the same reason, slots into the back three to give Matteo Gabbia a rest.
Pervis Estupinan will hope to make good of a rare start, as Davide Bartesaghi is moved to the bench. Then, Ruben Loftus-Cheek will look to offer Allegri a different dynamic to lead the line.
Predicted Milan XI (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Ricci, Jashari, Rabiot, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Leao.
Bench: Terracciano, Pittarella, Gabbia, Odogu, Bartesaghi, Modric, Sala, Nkunku, Pulisic.
Jashari is coming back from a broken leg, has zero live game minutes, and has not even had a cameo since making the bench.
I’m not buying that he’s going to start. I do hope we’ll see him get significant minutes in the last 30 or so
Or he starts and then give Modric some minutes
I agree. I think it will be Ricci and RLC in midfield and Nkunku with Leao. Nkunku needs confidence and to get in synch. Puli to come on for him and Jashari to come on for Ricci or RLC at around the 60-65th minute.
Hopefully Rabiot can cover 75% of the midfield himself
Looks like a B or B+ team. If we have the lead in the 60th minute, they can see the game out. If they’re losing or it’s 0-0, we bring on Modric and Puli to try to get the win while still getting these players rest.
This is exactly what Pioli used to do against the weaker teams in Champions League, and we ended up losing most of those games.
Am I the only one that is happy Fofana’s not playing?
Thrilled. Finally…
Not a bad starting 11 concidering rotations. Best “B-team” we have had in a long time.
Pulisic, Nkunku, Modric, Fofana and Bartesaghi can all come in from the bench.
Will be interesting to see how much Lazio rotate and how good their “replacements” are.
Allegri played Ricci as the DM during preseason , all of a sudden he changes his position. Allegri is too defensive minded. Jashari will do better as a 8 than Ricci. I feel Ricci is not so good in the 8 role. He better do those changes asap. Jashari progress the ball better.