Some clues have arrived from training at Milanello regarding the team that Sergio Conceicao should select for the derby against Inter tomorrow night.
There is some good team news first of all regarding returning players. Malick Thiaw has recovered from a sickness bug, Yunus Musah is back from suspension and Rafael Leao has fully shaken off his muscle discomfort.
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The predicted XI
In training today, Sky report that Conceicao tried a 4-2-3-1 with Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders in the middle of the pitch, then Christian Pulisic as an attacking midfielder. As a right winger he tried Yunus Musah but above all Alex Jimenez, who is the favourite to get the nod.
Leao will be a starter again against Inter too after he began the Napoli game on the bench. The other big news is at striker where Milan now have three options: Santiago Gimenez, Tammy Abraham and the goal scorer from Sunday, Luka Jovic. The favourite on the night before the match is Abraham, who also started at the Maradona.
In defence, Malick Thiaw and Matteo Gabbia are expected to be the pairing centrally, with the team completed by Mike Maignan in goal, Kyle Walker at right-back and Theo Hernandez as the left-back.
Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Walker, Gabbia, Thiaw, Theo Hernandez; Reijnders, Fofana; Jimenez, Pulisic, Leao; Abraham.
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Were is Master of nothing????
Which one?
Joao Fish?
Finally what I can positive is that this is first Milan season where we can see rotation.
Theo was on the bench, we had 4 central backs, Leao was on bench, instead of Giroud we have other options, Jimenez took place for Felix and Musah etc….
But finish and result completely gone.
Is it possible that too much of new arrivals and buying costs the side of result ?
disbalance and buying wrong players…
CDM isn’t fanciest but you need them… all of our players are box-to-box, N10… no one can defend in this squad (Wieffer even though was sold for 32M, he would have been bigger impact than wasting 15M on Emerson Royal)
Theo form is concerning and his sub was never Jimenez. under Walker he can become quite a player, but right now his defensive issues are serious to make him a starter (Biraghi, Spinazzola would have been cheap Italian solutions)
sub-wingers have contributed little to nothing (keeping Okafor and Chukwueze instead of Saelemakers, bringing low profile sub for Leao like Sottil)
and the curse of N9 is back, after Giroud left us this summer (Morata was never going to be your 10+ striker, Gimenez is already on dry spell now)
Leao(Saelemakers) – Gimenez(Abraham) – Pulisic(Berardi)
Tiji(Fagioli) – Fofana(Bondo, Musah)
Wieffer(Frendrup)
Theo(Spinazzola) – Thiaw(Pavlovic) – Gabbia(Tomori) – Walker(Jimenez)
Maignan(Sportiello, Torriani)
Berardi, Walker and Spinazzola would be under 15M
same 32M for Santi
32M for Wieffer
Bondo 10M
Fagioli 3M loan + obligation
Frendrup 20-25M
our current spending is 71M. 28M on Morata and Emerson plus the 5.5M loan fee for Felix, that gives you wasted 33.5M. Also, Chukwueze, RLC sales would give you 30-40M.
With Tammy starting, Milan are sure to lose.
How on earth did Milan think loaning Morata was a good idea? I am dumbfounded
Morata wanted to leave.
Did he?
Ha ha.
A proven winner took one look at the place and said ‘I’m gone!’.
Walker is probably only hanging about so he can cheat on his wife.
Tammy started the last derby and we almost won if not for a Jimenez mistake. But what do you expect Gimenez to do?
I’d prefer Sottil to Jimenez.
Im so sorry for tomori. He should be on starting 11
Imagine season about to end and we can’t pin down a starting 11. We change the cb’ s and wingers now st so often, chemistry non existent.
Why can’t we have 4-3-1-2. With leao being the 1 on the left and two forwards? Put Pulisic in the 3 but to the left a bit further up. He can trail back and attack.then Reijnders and probably Fofana even if he is not my favourite…
Defensively weak and unbalanced. No midfield whatsoever. 343 would at least give more density in the middle with 4 players. We’ll get easily overrun.
Mike
Thiaw Gabbia Pavlo
Jimenez Fofana Reijnders Theo
Puli Gimenez Leao
Abraham should go far from the starting lineup. What’s wrong with the coach? Abraham should not play at all in this game
His agility will be greatly needed against this physical Inter defence.
Unfortunately, none of us here is the Coach. And no one know the players abilities like the coach do.