AC Milan face Cagliari tonight at the San Siro in a match valid for the round of 16 of Coppa Italia.
The coach, Pioli, will field a lineup filled with very young players, without the top players of the squad: 18-year-old Serbian centre-back Jan-Carlo Simic, 18-year-old Spanish full-back Alex Jimenez, 19-year-old attacking midfielder and winger Luka Romero and 19-year-old left-winger Chaka Traoré will be on the pitch. As for Rafael Leao, Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, they will be sitting on the bench.
Peppe Di Stefano, a journalist for Sky Sport, commented on the aforementioned lineup choices:
"It's a decision fully agreed upon with the club. The Coppa Italia is by no means underestimated, but it's clear that the big names like Leao, Giroud, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Kjaer, and Florenzi, who have played a lot recently, need to rest, while at the same time giving opportunities to the young players from the Primavera who have been performing excellently since last season under Abate's guidance. There's a risk behind this choice, but it's a risk that Milan wants (and must) take, and it's supported by Pioli and the club's management."
