Francesco Totti is on the bench as Gervinho, Adem Ljajic and Mattia Destro face Mario Balotelli and Kaka’s Milan for tonight’s
Francesco Totti is on the bench as Gervinho, Adem Ljajic and Mattia Destro face Mario Balotelli and Kaka’s Milan for tonight’s Serie A showdown.
Week 16 concludes this evening at 19.45 GMT at San Siro, click here for a match preview.
The Giallorossi are still unbeaten and must win to avoid falling further behind leaders Juventus.
Miralem Pjanic sits out a ban with Marco Borriello and Federico Balzaretti injured, but captain Totti is on the bench and expected to play for the first time since damaging his hamstring on October 21.
Mattia Destro partners Gervinho and Adem Ljajic in the trident attack, while Michael Bradley steps into the midfield.
Destro made his comeback after seven months last week and promptly scored the winner in a 2-1 result against Fiorentina.
It is also a return to San Siro for ex-Inter right-back Douglas Maicon.
Milan have been stuttering of late and reached the Champions League knockouts on Wednesday thanks to a 0-0 draw with Ajax, but were playing with 10 men for over an hour following Riccardo Montolivo’s dismissal.
He is suspended in Europe, but not in Serie A, so starts tonight with Ricky Kaka behind Balotelli in a Christmas Tree formation.
Stephan El Shaarawy, Ignazio Abate, Valter Birsa, Kevin Constant, Robinho, Matias Silvestre and Marco Amelia are all unavailable, but Philippe Mexes is benched again.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri was very close to joining Roma over the summer, but opted to remain at Milan and is under pressure to get results.
There is a staggering 19-point gap between the two teams going into this round.
It is a special occasion for the Rossoneri, who celebrate the 114th anniversary of the club’s foundation today.
Milan: Abbiati; De Sciglio, Bonera, Zapata, Emanuelson; Muntari, De Jong, Poli; Montolivo, Kaka; Balotelli
Milan bench: Gabriel, Coppola, Zaccardo, Mexes, Cristante, Saponara, Nocerino, Niang, Pazzini, Matri
Roma: De Sanctis; Maicon, Benatia, Castan, Dodò; De Rossi, Strootman, Bradley; Ljajic, Destro, Gervinho
Roma bench: Lobont, Skorupski, Burdisso, Romagnoli, Jedvaj, Torosidis, Taddei, Marquinho, Ricci, Mazzitelli, Totti, Florenzi