Leonardo Bonucci reportedly asked to be left out of the Juventus starting XI at San Siro, while Milan look to Samu Castillejo and Gonzalo Higuain.
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Leonardo Bonucci reportedly asked to be left out of the Juventus starting XI at San Siro, while Milan look to Samu Castillejo and Gonzalo Higuain.
It kicks off at 19.30 GMT, follow the build-up and action from all today’s Serie A games on the LIVEBLOG.
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This is always a massive match, but with added spice this time around thanks to the presence of Higuain and Bonucci against their former teammates.
While yesterday it was reported Max Allegri had tested the line-up without Bonucci, instead using Medhi Benatia and Giorgio Chiellini, it was assumed the Coach was trying to protect his defender from the jeers of the crowd.
Instead, La Stampa newspaper today suggest it was Bonucci himself who asked to be left out of the starting XI, as he was concerned at the response he’d get from a packed San Siro.
The Italy international spent only one season at Milan and wore the captain’s armband before returning to Juve, where he was not greeted with open arms by the Bianconeri ultras either.
Paulo Dybala is expected to play in a trequartista role behind Mario Mandzukic and Cristiano Ronaldo in a 4-3-1-2 formation, with Joao Cancelo and Alex Sandro as the full-backs.
Alternatively, Dybala will be on the right side of a trident attack with the same players.
Milan have an injury crisis on their hands, missing Lucas Biglia, Mateo Musacchio, Mattia Caldara, Giacomo Bonaventura and Ivan Strinic.
Andrea Conti’s three-match ban for insulting the referee after a game with the Milan Primavera youth team is valid for Serie A too.
Unlike Bonucci, it seems Higuain is absolutely desperate to face his former teammates, having been pushed out of Juventus this summer to make way for Cristiano Ronaldo.
It’s a familiar situation, as more or less the same thing happened earlier in his career at Real Madrid.
Pipita is determined to play through the pain of a back injury and should be partnered by Samu Castillejo rather than Patrick Cutrone, who was spotted limping after the 1-1 draw with Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday.
Gennaro Gattuso’s comments in the Press conference on Saturday suggest Higuain is perhaps too fired up for this opportunity to prove himself.
“Considering the way he experiences matches, I urge him to stay calm, because he does get easily irritable,” noted Gattuso.
“He needs to stay clear-headed and be hungry, but not desperate. He can’t do much on his own, he needs the team to work together.”
Franck Kessie and Hakan Calhanoglu should also be able to play despite ankle knocks, with Suso the on form figure down the right in a 4-4-2 formation.
Davide Calabria is not 100 per cent fit, so Ignazio Abate is expected to start.
Probable line-ups
Milan (4-4-2): G Donnarumma; Abate, Zapata, Romagnoli, Rodriguez; Suso, Kessie, Bakayoko, Calhanoglu; Castillejo, Higuain
Milan bench: Reina, A Donnarumma, Calabria, Bellanova, Simic, Laxalt, Mauri, Montolivo, Bertolacci, Halilovic, Borini, Cutrone
Juventus (4-3-1-2): Szczesny; Cancelo, Benatia, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Khedira, Pjanic, Matuidi; Dybala; Mandzukic, Ronaldo.
Juventus bench: Perin, Pinsoglio, De Sciglio, Rugani, Bonucci, Barzagli, Bentancur, Bernardeschi, Cuadrado, Douglas Costa, Kean