Football Italia
·23 November 2024
Football Italia
·23 November 2024
Alvaro Morata, Rafael Leao and Ruben Loftus-Cheek lead the way for Milan against a revamped Juventus with Teun Koopmeiner as False 9 supported by Kenan Yildiz, Weston McKennie and Francisco Conceicao.
It kicks off at San Siro at 17.00 GMT.
This is always a big fixture for the Italian calendar and it remains a huge crossroads in the Scudetto race, with the Rossoneri trying to get back into the group at the top – albeit with a game in hand.
The injury crisis has calmed in recent days for Paulo Fonseca, although Christian Pulisic was in doubt after international duty with the USMNT and is benched in favour of Loftus-Cheek.
Rafael Leao and Yunus Musah join him fanning out behind former Juventus striker Morata.
Matteo Gabbia returns from several weeks out injured, leaving only Luka Jovic, Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi on the treatment table.
Juventus’ American midfielder #16 Weston McKennie celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 1 football match between Juventus FC and PSV Eindhoven, at the Juventus Stadium in Turin on September 17, 2024. (Photo by Isabella BONOTTO / AFP) (Photo by ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP via Getty Images)
Juventus, on the other hand, have a lot more problems to deal with because Dusan Vlahovic returned from international duty with a muscular injury and is ruled out.
With Arkadiusz Milik, Vasilije Adzic, Nico Gonzalez and Douglas Luiz all injured too, there are no available strikers.
Tim Weah was tested in training, but instead Thiago Motta surprisingly uses Koopmeiners as a False 9, though McKennie might swap repeatedly with him in that role.
Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz are in support, with Federico Gatti joining on-loan Milan defender Pierre Kalulu at the back.
Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal are both out for six months with torn anterior cruciate ligaments.
The Bianconeri are unbeaten in Serie A this season, but with six draws in 12 rounds.
Milan: Maignan; Emerson Royal, Thiaw, Gabbia, Theo Hernandez; Reijnders, Fofana; Musah, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Morata
Juventus: Di Gregorio, Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Locatelli, K Thuram; Conceiçao, McKennie, Yildiz; Koopmeiners
Live