AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca has settled on the line-up that will take on Hellas Verona, and there are some surprises.
Milan were booed off the field after their last game, a 0-0 draw with Genoa that sparked protests from fans outside the ground and before their 125th birthday event the next night.
With the Champions League places eight points away, there have been suggestions that Paulo Fonseca needs a positive result tonight to keep his job.
The predicted starting XIs
The coach is also battling an injury crisis which sees eight players unavailable and that does not help. Despite the potentially precarious nature of the game, he is expected to spring some surprises.
Most notably, La Gazzetta dello Sport believe that Filippo Terracciano will operate in the midfield double pivot alongside Youssouf Fofana, with Tijjani Reijnders moving up to play behind the striker.
That striker will be Tammy Abraham because Alvaro Morata has tonsillitis, and he should be flanked by Samuel Chukwueze on the right then Rafael Leao on the left.
The back four should consist of Emerson Royal, Matteo Gabbia, Malick Thiaw and Alex Jimenez ahead of Mike Maignan. That means Theo Hernandez will be on the bench again.
Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson Royal, Gabbia, Thiaw, Jimenez; Fofana, Terracciano; Chukwueze, Reijnders, Leao; Abraham.
Predicted Verona XI (3-4-2-1): Montipo; Dawidowicz, Coppola, Ghilardi; Tchatchoua, Serdar, Duda, Lazovic; Suslov, Tengstedt; Sarr.
Reijnders should play CM and Fofana rest. Playing both of these guys always is going to bite us in the ass eventually.
Reijnders can’t have a rest? 🙂
Our coach is an idiot.
Why stick with 4231 when we don’t have the players, especially now with injuries
At thi spoint with our raggedy squad we shud prob play 343
Tomori would be obvious choice for the right side. Play Theo and Jimenez as wing backs.
Play jimenez as RB play Thoe left back Emerson should hit the bench and Pair either Zeroli pr Vos with fofana
Lots of different commenters suggesting different options. All interesting. Nevertheless, if this is the lineup we at least finally get to see Reijnders at AM. I’ve been hoping for this (and I think so have a few others) for a while. So putting aside other possible choices, focus on this, because I think this is where he should be playing and it will be an important test. I feel like Fonseca had wanted to try this against Genoa, but then Musah got injured and he gave Liberali the chance instead of Terra. Liberali did just about enough, but his inexperience and lack of physicality was obvious, and out attack had no teeth partially because of this. So other formations/lineups notwithstanding, I’m keen on seeing Tijji at AM. Of course that’s assuming it actually happens.
And it could also be the prelude to Benny returning, as I think it would be Benny and Fofana in the pivot, with Rijnders at AM.
if we get the Benny of old. (i still hope) This would be amazing. He hasnt been our Benny for a while. 🙂
Reijnders already played as an AM against both Venezia and Liverpool.
That’s true. I think Reijnders has already played CAM a few times. I do not think from the start tho. I’m also curious on Terracianno playing the double pivot. He was indeed a CM before he joined us. Perhaps playing in a more natural position will give better results. Crz idea, i know, but we keep putting players out of their best position that the simplest idea sometimes sounds bananas
I think this is not bad. Terraciano has played as a DM before. And without Pulisic playing Rejndiers more forward can give us that extra creativity that we lacked in the previous game. Theo over Emerson tho.
Lmao when he needs him at DM cause there is no alternatives he gonna put him on AM 🤦
I dont understand what kind of pussinest is not trying youngsters as DM when everyone is injured,when will these kids get a chance? Eletu , Vos , Zeroli ,i am sure they are more than ready…
You are sure they are more than ready?? How in the world would you know that? Because they are doing so well in Serie C? He’s already playing Jiminez and Terraciano. Carmada has been getting minutes. Liberali got a chance last week and showed he was not ready.
Yes, let’s play an entire squad of teenagers that are in 18th place in Serie C. Brilliant idea. I don’t know why Milan is not listening to you.
maybe i can’t be sure they are ready , but i can be sure 100% that half of the starters are not ready cause i watched them multiple times , what about that?? and terraciano is not a serie C or youngster , why u even talk about him , liberalli played better than loftus who played 20 times this season so stfu , if you play jimenez plus one of the youngsters as DM its not ”entire squad of teenagers” u stuppid dumbaas ,its still just 2 players just like jimenez plus terraciano , based on our placement on table and our form they prooved they had GOOD choices u piece of shht ,they would do better if they listened to me
I remember calabria did very well as a DM under pioli
He did. Def worth a try now we have no options, this coach does not seem to have much mental elasticity
I don’t trust Terracciano in any position. I think he is clueless and has a low football IQ.
You’re judging a RW off his ability to play LB? Maybe it’s your own IQ buddy…
TerrorCiano as a midfielder? What could go wrong?
They really do just keep playing this man anywhere but his natural position huh?🤦♂️ man hasn’t played as a right midfield one time for us, but hasn’t complained once. Honestly I respect the effort. Every club needs a guy like this who’s willing to just fill a role when called on. And he’s one of the only Italians left on the roster…