Football Italia
·3 dicembre 2024
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·3 dicembre 2024
Milan start Tammy Abraham, Rafael Leao and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 against Sassuolo.
It kicks off at San Siro at 20.00 GMT.
The winners of this tie will go on to face either Roma or Sampdoria in the quarter-finals of the competition.
At this stage of the tournament, there is no extra time, so if they are level after 90 minutes then they go directly to a penalty shoot-out.
Milan are fresh from a comfortable victory over Empoli, but also rotate the squad with numerous players left out.
They include Mike Maignan, who had an appointment at the dentist, Theo Hernandez, Luka Jovic, Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi.
The only regular first team players are Rafael Leao, Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana.
REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – APRIL 21: Inter linked Domenico Berardi of US Sassuolo during the Serie A TIM match between US Sassuolo and US Lecce at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on April 21, 2024 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy.(Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Although they are in Serie B this season, Sassuolo are famously a bogey team for Milan, drawing 3-3 in their most recent meeting and winning three of their last four visits to San Siro in Serie A.
Matteo Lovato is on the absentee list for the current Serie B leaders, who sit three points clear at the top of the table.
The Neroverdi won their last four games without conceding a single goal and reached this stage of the Coppa Italia by beating Cittadella 2-1 and Lecce 2-0.
Star man Domenico Berardi is on the bench, but former Italy Under-21 international Samuele Mulattieri leads the attack.
Milan: Sportiello; Calabria, Tomori, Pavlovic, Terracciano; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Abraham
Sassuolo: Satalino; Paz, Odenthal, Muharemović, Pieragnolo; Iannoni, Obiang, Caligara; Volpato, Mulattieri, Antiste