Milan are expected to make several changes in midfield for Sunday's clash against Lecce, with Adrien Rabiot and Luka Modric both coming into the side as the Rossoneri chase a much-needed win before the international break.
Back-to-back setbacks against Benfica and Lazio have left Rúben Amorim under pressure to produce a convincing performance, and Gerry Cardinale will again be watching from the stands. According to MilanNews, the predicted lineup features a familiar back three but a reshuffled engine room designed to provide more control.
Mike Maignan keeps his place in goal behind a defensive line of Mario Gila, Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlović. Samuel Chukwueze is the only midfielder to retain his spot, operating at right wing-back, while Diego Moreira comes in on the left. The midfield pivot of Rabiot and Modric replaces what was used against Lazio, giving Milan two players comfortable dictating tempo.
Further forward, Christian Pulisic starts in what could end a 10-month goal drought at San Siro, with Alphadjo Cissé expected to continue on the left of the attacking pair. Gonçalo Ramos leads the line as he looks for his first goal since the win over Venezia.
The predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlović; Chukwueze, Modric, Rabiot, Moreira; Pulisic, Cissé; Ramos.
MilanNews noted that the lineup matches the XI a journalist put to Amorim during his pre-match press conference. Late changes remain possible, with Alexis Saelemaekers pushing for Cissé's role and Pervis Estupiñán an alternative to Moreira at left wing-back.
With Cardinale wanting visible improvement, particularly in the opening half, the selection of Rabiot and Modric together reads as an attempt to set the pace early rather than chase the game from behind.