Stefano Pioli has some big decisions to make as Milan prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League showdown with Chelsea at San Siro, but has Theo Hernandez back.
The Rossoneri were beaten 3-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier this week while missing 12 players between injury and European availability.
Theo Hernandez returned in Saturday’s 2-0 Serie A win over Juventus, but otherwise Pioli is still missing Mike Maignan, Simon Kjaer, Davide Calabria, Junior Messias, Alessandro Florenzi, Alexis Saelemaekers and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He also cannot call on the services of Aster Vranckx, Yacine Adli, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Malick Thiaw in the Champions League due to squad restrictions.
Divock Origi and Ante Rebic are still not fit enough to start, so at best will be on the bench.
The big surprise pulled by Pioli against Juventus was a switch from the 4-2-3-1 formation to 4-3-3, with Rafael Leao and Brahim Diaz wide on the flanks to support Olivier Giroud.
That was introduced because Milan are missing both first-choice right-backs and right-sided attacking wingers.
It remains to be seen if they will repeat the experiment in a must-win Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Sergino Dest was also dropped in favour of Pierre Kalulu, who was shifted from centre-back to the right side of defence, with Matteo Gabbia in the centre, another situation that could be reversed in Europe.
After all, Gabbia had only played 31 minutes of football this season before starting against Juventus and has very little European experience.
Rade Krunic is likely to replace Tommaso Pobega in midfield, although he probably won’t be asked to mark Thiago Silva on set plays again.
The big question mark is between Brahim Diaz, who scored a wonderful solo effort against Juve by running from his own half, and summer signing Charles De Ketelaere.
Pioli must have been in a secret affair with Krunic. He always keeps and plays Krunic even though he has nothing special. Pioli should include Adli or Vranckx instead of Krunic in the Champlion League list.
Let’s keep Diaz on the right in a 4-3-3 it will play on weak Chelsea defence
We must forgot first leg in the meed week agó and make revenge