GdS: Predicted XIs for Juventus vs. Milan – Pulisic return a big boost | OneFootball

AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao is just hours away from naming his first starting line-up, with Juventus the opponents tonight in the Supercoppa Italiana.

Conceicao has not had much time to work with the team having only been announced as the new coach on December 29, but in his pre-match press conference he made it clear that he does not see that as an excuse.

We previewed tonight’s game in Riyadh, breaking down the opponents Juventus and also the key players to watch in the game, while the latest team news has come from the papers this morning.

La Gazzetta dello Sport’s predicted XIs

Milan will be without three forwards for the game, which depletes the depth available. Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze have stayed in Italy, while Rafael Leao is with the squad but not back for the Juve game.

The paper believe that Mike Maignan will have a back four of Emerson Royal, Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw and Theo Hernandez ahead of him.

Then, there will be a midfield three of Ismael Bennacer, Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders from right to left. Completing the team in attack are the returning Christian Pulisic, Alvaro Morata and Alex Jimenez.

Predicted Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Emerson Royal, Gabbia, Thiaw, Theo; Bennacer, Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Morata, Jimenez.

Predicted Juventus XI (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic.