On the eve of the match at Milan, who will be playing on Sunday night away against second-placed Napoli. For the occasion, coach Sergio Conceiçao seems inclined to start three English players: right-back Kyle Walker, midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and forward Tammy Abraham. However, not central defender Fikayo Tomori; in fact, the starting pair will be Matteo Gabbia and Malick Thiaw.
In midfield, Loftus-Cheek is favored over Warren Bondo to partner with Youssouf Fofana.
The English midfielder returned to play before the international break in the final minutes of the comeback win 2-1 against Como at San Siro... Prior to that, Loftus-Cheek had been sidelined due to another muscle injury, which kept him out for a couple of months.
Now, Sergio Conceiçao is ready to give him his first start, also to add more height and strength to the central midfield. On the other side, Antonio Conte counters with Zambo Anguissa and Scott McTominay. The Scottish player has never lost in the 7 previous meetings (6 in England) against Loftus-Cheek: four draws and three wins, including the 2-0 victory in the first leg at San Siro, with goals from Lukaku and Kvaratskhelia. The latter has since left Napoli and can already celebrate winning the French championship with Paris Saint-Germain.
Born in 1996, Loftus-Cheek arrived at Milan from Chelsea for 18.9 million euros in the summer transfer market of 2023. His contract, worth 4 million euros net per year, expires in June 2027. So far, he has made 62 appearances for Milan, scoring 10 goals, providing 3 assists, and receiving 7 yellow cards. At the end of the season, he could be put on the market for departure, but first, the decisions of the coach and sporting director coming to Milan must be awaited.
Source: Calciomercato.com
