Today’s final training session could still change things, but rumours coming from Milanello say that tomorrow against Atalanta there will be several changes to Milan’s starting line-up compared to the last home match against Sassuolo. On one hand, there have been some significant omissions; on the other, Max Allegri wants to give a fresh starting opportunity to some players who have seen less playing time in recent weeks.
Bartesaghi returns:
The only forced change is in defence, where the Livorno-born coach will have to do without the suspended Fikayo Tomori, who was banned for one match by the Sports Judge after the double-yellow red card he received at the Mapei Stadium last Sunday. In his place will be Koni De Winter. Alongside him will be the “usual” Matteo Gabbia, who became a father in recent days, and Strahinja Pavlovic. Alexis Saelemaekers keeps his place on the right, while on the left Davide Bartesaghi will be preferred to Pervis Estupiñán, who failed to convince even against Sassuolo.
But the major changes, as reported this morning by Corriere dello Sport, will be in midfield and attack. In midfield, with Luka Modrić still unavailable because of a fractured cheekbone, both Ardon Jashari and Youssouf Fofana have been dropped and will be replaced by Samuele Ricci, who will operate as the deep-lying playmaker in front of the defence, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The other mezzala will obviously be Adrien Rabiot, whom Allegri never gives up on.
Up front, meanwhile, Rafael Leão and Christopher Nkunku will start on the bench: the starting attacking duo will be Christian Pulisic and Santiago Giménez. The Mexican has not started a match in six months and has not scored in Serie A for an entire year.
