Week 9: Bologna – Milan
The injury and unavailable list has grown even larger. The very poor showing at Porto in the Champions League was compounded by questionable refereeing and the list of absentees has grown to a baffling size for this week 9 match at Bologna.
The number of players out almost completes a whole 11 with Theo and Diaz both in COVID-19 isolation. Florenzi and Maignan recovering post surgery much like Messias and Plizzari. Kessie is out with the flu and Pellegri and Rebic have small knocks. The latter was hoping to recover from the injury suffered last week versus Verona but he needs a few more days.
So who is available? Can the team bounce back from the poor half or so versus Verona and the disappointing 90 at Porto? Looks like Tatarusanu will continue to be a starter with Mirante ready to step in. Calabria, Kjaer and Tomori will form the back four along side Ballo-Toure. The ex-Monaco man hasn’t looked a safe left back and a line up shuffle with Kalulu remains a possibility. Tonali and Bennacer will start in front of the back four. Castillejo came into the game versus Verona and managed a Man Of The Match performance, so much so that he was congratulated by his teams mates at the final whistle and was very emotional. He or Saelemaekers will start with Krunic and Leao behind Ibra. Krunic is pretty much the only viable attacking midfield option available for Pioli and Milan. Ibra should be ready for a start after several sub appearances. If not Giroud will start.
Bologna have had a mixed start to the new season in which they have lost 4-2 and 6-1 to Empoli and Inter respectively but have then beaten Lazio 3-0. Mihajlovic’s men sit in eighth place and feature Marko Arnautovic in attack this season. The controversial Austrian international returned to Europe after two years in China.
Follow the match as it happens, in the forum.