Tuttosport: Pioli to rely on young attacking trio with combined age of 60 for trip to Portugal

By Oliver Fisher -

AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli will rely on a very young trio for Thursday’s Europa League Play-Off game against Rio Ave, a report claims.

Milan face a crisis in attack for the one-off knockout game in Portugal, meaning Pioli will have to make a virtue of necessity. In the next two matches against Rio Ave and Spezia for that matter, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ante Rebic – the most lethal and dangerous forward – will not be available.

Ibrahimovic is currently being kept out after contracting Covid-19, while the Croatian is recovering from a dislocation in his elbow.

According to Tuesday’s edition of Tuttosport (via MilanLive), Pioli will have to resort to a very young but exciting attack, a brand new trident made up of Lorenzo Colombo (18 years), Rafael Leao (21) and Brahim Diaz (21).

The three forwards at Pioli’s disposal have a combined age of just 60, but they are not lacking in confidence and a desire to break through.

Colombo scored against Bodo/Glimt last Thursday and has shown his strengths, while Leao is back at full speed and seems ready to redeem his mixed first year with Milan. Finally, Diaz is coming off the back of a goal in Crotone, so there is reason to suggest that Thursday could be an exciting spectacle.

Tags AC Milan Rio Ave Milan
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