Week 17: Udinese – Milan
The Champions League season ended in a tame match versus a partial Liverpool B team. Inexperience and an injury crisis within the very busy schedule made sure that Milan will have to concentrate on the Scudetto. That is not necessarily a bad thing for this young team. Sitting in first place despite the aforementioned injury toll is a positive. Sustaining the top spot remains a big challenge as the absent list remains long.
Giroud, Rebic, Kjaer, Pellegri, Calabria and Leao remain out for this week 17 visit to Udinese. The coach himself is said to be battling the flu.
The back line will feature Florenzi, Tomori, Romagnoli and Henandez playing in front of Maigana. Hernandez’s form remains poor and his play will have a say in how the season moves ahead. The double pivots have been a rotating saga, whether due to injury or coach’s decisions the same two have not always played together. Tonali and Bakayoko could start here but Bennacer is a possibility too with the struggling Kessie seemingly in need of a rest.
The front four players have been even more difficult to organize. The coach has few options and the only real question is whether to use Messias or Saelemaekers. The latter looks to have an advantage despite the former showing more promise and goals. Diaz, Krunic and Ibra will fill out the remaining spots.
The January transfer window does require enforcements but whether attacking and central defensive help is affordable or possible remains to be seen. As expected rumours link a whole set of players to Milan with defenders more often mentioned due to Kjaer’s season ending injury. Lille’s Sven Botman, Torino’s Gleison Bremer and Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic are just three names mentioned.
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