Official: AC Milan vs. Venezia starting XIs – Pioli makes five changes from Juve draw | OneFootball

AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has made three changes to his starting line-up from the team that drew with Juventus in his XI to face Venezia.

The injury bug has hit Milan again, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic out due to an Achilles tendon while Olivier Giroud is still battling pain in his back. There isn’t much depth in midfield either as Tiemoue Bakayoko sustained a calf muscle problem and Rade Krunic is still battling an issue in his right calf.

Junior Messias is not at his best physical condition and will have to wait to make his debut, while finally in defence both Davide Calabria and Simon Kjaer are expected to miss the next two games with slight muscle strains.

Pioli has handed first starts of the season to Pierre Kalulu, Fode Ballo-Toure and Matteo Gabbia in the back four, while Ismael Bennacer comes in alongside Sandro Tonali in the double pivot and Alessandro Florenzi is on the right wing with Saelemaekers rested.

Official Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kalulu, Gabbia, Romagnoli, Ballo-Toure; Tonali, Bennacer; Florenzi, Brahim Diaz, Leao; Rebic.

Bench: Tatarusanu, Jungdal, Conti, Theo Hernandez, Tomori, Castillejo, Kessiè, Saelemaekers, Maldini, Pellegri.

Official Venezia XI (4-3-3): Maenpaa; Mazzocchi, Caldara, Ceccaroni, Molinaro; Peretz, Vacca, Busio; Aramu, Forte, Johnsen.

Bench: Neri, Modolo, Ebuehi, Svoboda, Tessmann, Heymans, Bjarkason, Kiyine, Crnigoj, Henry, Okereke.