Official: Bologna vs. AC Milan starting XIs – one change from Torino loss | OneFootball

AC Milan are approaching do-or-die time as their top four hopes fade away, and winning is the only option tonight against Bologna.

In case you had forgotten, this fixture originally meant to be played in the last week of October, but the game ended up being postponed due to risk of flooding. It actually ended up being quite a farcical situation in the end, and one Milan were not too happy with.

Four months on, the game has a lot more riding on it now than it perhaps did then. The Rossoneri are eight points behind Juventus in fourth and this is the game in hand they have over other sides, so a win is needed to trim the gap or the Champions League places might as well vanish.

Official starting XIs

Milan are without the long-term absentees Alessandro Florenzi and Emerson Royal, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is getting closer to a return but will not be available. Kyle Walker will also sit out, but Luka Jovic is back.

The main headline is that Sergio Conceicao has chosen to break up the ‘Fantastic Four’, instead opting for Yunus Musah as the right winger. He is joined by Joao Felix and Rafael Leao in the attack, plus Santiago Gimenez up front.

Tijjani Reijnders remains in the double pivot with Youssouf Fofana getting his spot back. Alex Jimenez starts at right-back, Theo Hernandez at left-back, then the centre-backs ahead of Mike Maignan are Malick Thiaw and Strahinja Pavlovic.

Official Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Jimenez, Thiaw, Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Musah, Felix, Leao; Gimenez.

Bench: Sportiello, Torriani, Tomori, Gabbia, Terracciano, Bartesaghi, Bondo, Chukwueze, Sottil, Pulisic, Abraham, Camarda, Jovic.

Official Bologna XI (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; De Silvestri, Casale, Beukema, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Ndoye, Fabbian, Dominguez, Castro.

Bench: Bagnolini, Ravaglia, Erlic, Moro, Orsolini, Calabria, El Azzouzi, Pobega, Aebischer, Odgaard, Lykogiannis, Dallinga, Lucumi, Cambiaghi.