AC Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Torino in the first game of the season on Saturday night and they had to come from two goals down in order to get it, but the feeling is that the team that started that game could drastically change soon.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report that six out of the 11 players who started the game against Torino at the weekend are not expected to keep their place once everyone is fully fit and up to speed.
Emerson Royal and Youssouf Fofana should be available from the away match in Parma while the physical conditions of Theo Hernandez, Strahinja Pavlovic, Tijjani Reijnders and Alvaro Morata should all improve after they sat on the bench from minute one on Saturday.
Changes in sight
Saturday’s game against Parma is likely to arrive a little too early to see all six of them from the aforementioned players first minute, but plenty will change compared to the season debut against the Granata.
Paulo Fonseca criticised his team for lack of intensity and pressure when Torino tried to come out from the back, but to ensure that Milan are able to recover the ball quickly they also need the right men to do so.
For example, Luka Jovic is not as suited to frenetic pressing as Morata, while Fofana in midfield has superior lungs and recovery ability compared to Loftus-Cheek and probably Bennacer, just as Emerson Royal and Pavlovic should provide more solidity than that shown by Thiaw and Calabria.
To support Christian Pulisic as an attacking midfielder and the Chukwueze-Leao pair on the wings, everything behind and in front needs to give balance. If that’s not enough, Fonseca can always try to using Saelemaekers or in any case players more inclined to sacrifice on the wings.
The need for quality
As well as from a tactical point of view, Milan also hopes to grow in quality. Starting with the likes of Theo, Reijnders or Morata should help, as the trio did on Saturday by sparking the comeback against Il Toro.
Reijnders – despite the usual question marks in the non-possession phase – is one of the most skilled in the squad with the ball at his feet, so much so that he had a hand in both goals and looked constantly willing to get on the ball. Leao even missed a chance to make it three.
Speaking of Rafa, having Morata and not Jovic as the one leading the line can contribute to the transformation project that Fonseca has in mind for his compatriot. Alvaro is more likely than the Serbian to drop deep to participate in the build-up and free up space for Leao to exploit.
