Tomorrow things start to get a bit more serious. Milan, at 1:30 PM Italian time, will face Arsenal in a friendly. It’s the first of three friendlies scheduled during their tour in Asia and the Pacific: this one will be played at the National Stadium in Singapore, while the other two will be against Liverpool in Hong Kong and Perth Glory in Australia.
These matches will offer the first glimpses—albeit of a still very incomplete version—of Allegri’s new Milan. On the eve of the match, here are three reasons to watch the friendly against Arsenal.
1) Samuele Ricci
Leaving aside Pietro Terracciano—who will surely get a few minutes on the pitch but was clearly brought in to serve as Maignan’s backup—the only new face available to Milan tomorrow will be Samuele Ricci. That alone justifies the curiosity surrounding the former Torino midfielder—not only because he’s a new arrival, but also for tactical reasons. Born in 2001, Ricci will play as a holding midfielder, a crucial role that Igli Tare had targeted from the very beginning of the transfer window. Summer friendlies don't tell the whole story, but it will still be interesting to see exactly what Allegri asks of him and how he interacts with his midfield teammates.
2) The Defensive Pairing
Right now, Milan’s defense is in a rather peculiar state: on the flanks, apart from the imminent arrival of Pervis Estupiñán on the left, the squad is short-handed, relying only on youngsters or players still taking their first professional steps like Jimenez and Bartesaghi. On the other hand, the central defense looks complete—on paper, at least—pending future market decisions. There are four centre-backs who rotated continuously last season, and Allegri’s first selections may already offer clues about his plans going forward. The coach from Livorno will have to choose two from Tomori, Gabbia, Thiaw, and Pavlovic.
3) Leao’s Position
One of the main takeaways from today’s training session in Singapore is that Rafael Leao was tested as a central striker. For now, this seems like a makeshift solution. Currently, the only natural strikers in the squad are Santi Gimenez—still on vacation—and Lorenzo Colombo, who’s in Asia but expected to depart again soon. Allegri may be considering testing the Portuguese forward in a role he played quite frequently at Lille and much less often at Milan. Even if he ends up in his usual position on the left wing, it will still be interesting to observe what instructions Allegri has given him to interpret the winger’s role in his 4-3-3 system.
Source: Milannews.it
