Alexis Saelemaekers’ injury complicates Massimiliano Allegri’s plans ahead of the next league match on Sunday at 20:45 against Fiorentina at San Siro. Today will be important to assess the severity of his right leg flexor muscle problem and, above all, the recovery time, but his presence against Stefano Pioli’s Viola is definitely ruled out. Who will play on the right in his place?
Who will replace Alexis Saelemaekers while he is injured?
Tuttosport asks the same question this morning and explains that the natural replacement would be Zachary Athekame. With him, the team would continue with a 3-5-2, making it the ideal solution to avoid changing other key roles. The young Swiss winger, who has so far only played partial minutes and who, after Friday’s Under-21 match against Iceland, was called up to the senior national team that will play Slovenia tonight in World Cup qualifiers in Ljubljana, is he ready to start? If the answer is yes, he will play. If Allegri thinks he is not ready, he will choose a different option.
Alternatives:
There are two alternatives, both requiring a change in formation: one involves switching to a 4-4-2 (or 4-4-1-1 with Ruben Loftus-Cheek possibly behind the striker), with Christian Pulisic adapted to the right flank. Otherwise, Allegri could opt for a 4-3-3, which would also boost Rafael Leao’s role on the left. Training sessions between Wednesday and Saturday will clarify Allegri’s ideas ahead of Sunday’s match against Fiorentina at San Siro.
