Simon Kjær will finally get his start tomorrow, but Stefano Pioli lost two attackers to injuries.
After beating Bologna 2-0 at Stadio San Siro on Saturday, Milan have another match tomorrow as they face Sassuolo at Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore, where they won the Scudetto just over three months ago (18:30 CEST kickoff).
Coach Stefano Pioli was hoping to completely change his attack compared to the one that started against Bologna.
However, two players who were supposed to start have found themselves out of the squad. Ante Rebić is having back problems and didn’t travel with the squad to the game, while Divock Origi has a slight inflammation that does not make him 100% and as a precaution he’s also out.
This means that Rafael Leão and Olivier Giroud will start again, not getting a round of rest ahead of Saturday’s Derby. Brahim Díaz and Alexis Saelemaekers will step in for Charles De Ketelaere, and Junior Messias. Sandro Tonali will rest, with Tommaso Pobega starting alongside Ismaël Bennacer.
The big news come from the defense, as Simon Kjær is expected to play from the start. It will be Kjær’s first start in 2022 as he returned from knee surgery. He’s expected to find an old ally, Fikayo Tomori, with Pierre Kalulu and Matteo Gabbia on the bench of Pioli. Alessandro Florenzi and Theo Hernández will play as fullbacks, as Davide Calabria gets a chance to catch his breath.
Probable XI (Milannews.it): Mike Maignan; Alessandro Florenzi, Simon Kjær, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernández; Tommaso Pobega, Ismaël Bennacer; Alexis Saelemaekers, Brahim Díaz, Rafael Leão; Olivier Giroud.
Rade Krunić, Ante Rebić, Divock Origi, Marko Lazetić and Zlatan Ibrahimović are out of the squad.
| Goalkeepers | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciprian Tătăruşanu | Davide Calabria | Sandro Tonali | Rafael Leão |
| Antonio Mirante | Simon Kjær | Tommaso Pobega | Olivier Giroud |
| Mike Maignan | Theo Hernández | Ismaël Bennacer | Alexis Saelemaekers |
| Pierre Kalulu | Tiémoué Bakayoko | Brahim Diaz | |
| Fodé Ballo-Touré | Charles De Ketelaere | ||
| Matteo Gabbia | Yacine Adli | ||
| Alessandro Florenzi | Junior Messias | ||
| Fikayo Tomori |
Leao and Giroud would have needed the rest.
Derby will be crucial and a win there will give a massive confidence boost ahead of the CL.
And this is why we need multiple players in each positions cos of the fear of the unknown. Nobody knows when a player will get injured and change the plans of the coach and team.