AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli is expected to stay loyal to the team he used throughout the majority of preseason for Monday’s season opener against Bologna.
According to what is being reported by Sky, Pioli will go with Mike Maignan in goal as expected with Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori as the centre-back pairing and Theo Hernandez at left-back. The right-back is down as Pierre Kalulu, with Davide Calabria not at 100% after his muscle issue.
Rade Krunic will continue in his new-found role at the base of the new-look midfield three, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek ahead on his right and Tijjani Reijnders on his left as the two mezzali.
Moving to the front three, Christian Pulisic is expected to be preferred over Samuel Chukwueze on the right wing by virtue of having had more time with the group. Rafael Leao is down as the left winger, and Olivier Giroud up front.
Probable Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Kalulu, Thiaw, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao.
No doubt every armchair manager will have their own ideas, but this is the XI that have played together most during pre-season, so may as well start that way and see how it goes.
Obviously Krunic in the middle is a worry and so is Giroud looking tired in pre-season, but they’re trusted players so let’s get behind them.
I think Dominguez and Ferguson in the middle may be a better midfield than we have, but let’s see!
You mean the pre-season which lost most matches and only scored one goal from open-play?
I think Chukwueze should start on the right, Pulisic isn’t as lethal as he is, Pulisic should come in later for Leao and that’s when they can bring in Pobega too as they both work well on the left
He is the first enemy of team why can he say chekueza is not ready and Prefers Krunic who has been on the bench since his arrival
Puslic is to be palyed bo 10 not RW.
He wants to destroy Chekueza as he did CDK.
4:2:3:1 or 4:4:2 are the only usages that is Applicable for our current squad.
It’s the first game…
Yes thank God you know 4-2-3-1 is our best formation
3-2-4-1 offense…
4-2-4 press back into a 4-4-2 block…
Giroud
Leo/Okafor Chukwueze
Pulisic/Nusah
Reijinder Loftus Cheek
Theo Fikayo Thiaw Florenzi/Kalulu
Krunic and Calabria still playing…
I hope they get injured and we lose 4-0
I cant stand this bald pos at Milan anymore
The sooner we sack him the better
You seem to have forgotten the last 7 years before he came along. Non capisci un cazzo!
a little disappointed that chukwueze was not played
Calabria? For real? This must be to appease the people screaming that there were no Italians in the starting 11. Kalulu clearly the better choice.
Milan will win 4-3
Well let’s see, is Pioli the right coach to bring Milan back dominating again or not.
If we lose, in this first game. I hope management will quickly search for another coach.
Because I personally always not too sure with Pioli.
So many expert coach online here comment want to put this player, want to change player. Some of them even want AC Milan lose so coach get sacked, really ?? Hoping your club lose ? Are you just merda fans in disguise? Dont be stupid , even if they lose vs bologna ,they wont sacked coach , owner target finish 1-4 serie A & go as far in CL
ACM has the best LW in the world with : Theo-Leao. Now will the RW owned by ex-Chelsea players ? Pulisic & Loftus-Cheeks, with Target-man Giroud.