With the Derby della Madonnina upon us, AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso will be formulating a plan to secure the downfall of rivals Inter.
Both sides come into the game in good form, with the Rossoneri unbeaten in their last eight games across all competitions while they’ve scored 10 goals in their last three outings.
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As for Inter, they’re on a six-game winning streak, and so it promises to deliver a fascinating and entertaining encounter between the two sides as they return from the international break eager to back to work.
With no new injury concerns, Gattuso is being tipped to go with a full-strength starting line-up on Sunday night, with La Gazzetta dello Sport suggesting that the XI will be as expected by many fans, as seen below.
Perhaps the only question marks would be over the two full-backs with the Milan coach occasionally opting to go with the experience of Ignazio Abate over Davide Calabria, while Diego Laxalt has impressed when given an opportunity so far this season.
However, it’s expected that Calabria and Ricardo Rodriguez will get the nod from the Italian tactician, while it’s as you were prior to the break in terms of the rest of the line-up.
Lucas Biglia and Franck Kessie will look to secure a foothold in the encounter in midfield for Milan, while Giacomo Bonaventura, Suso and Hakan Calhanoglu must provide the creativity for Gonzalo Higuain to feed off.
The 30-year-old marksman has scored six goals in seven appearances so far this season, and the mini battle between him and compatriot Mauro Icardi as to who will be decisive is just one of many fascinating sub-plots in this encounter.
A win for Milan potentially moves them into the top four in Serie A depending on other results around them, but it would certainly see them move to within a point of Inter with a game in hand as the battle for top four places heats up even this early in the campaign.
Expected Milan XI: Donnarumma; Calabria, Musacchio, Romagnoli, Rodriguez; Kessie, Biglia, Bonaventura; Suso, Higuain, Calhanoglu.