Milan are delivering the goods at the business end of the season and have gone from strength to strength in recent weeks, and they will look to continue their great form by collecting three points in Florence.
The game is expected to be an emotional one. Before La Viola’s game against Atalanta, Fiorentina’s General Manager Joe Barone fell ill and sadly passed on March 19, and he will be commemorated before the game.
In Stefano Pioli’s pre-match press conference, he stated that it will be a very difficult game for Milan. La Viola will give their everything and Theo Hernandez’s suspension is not exactly helpful.
Milan have escaped the international break relatively unscathed, with only two players returning with problems. The first is Simon Kjaer, who will not travel to Florence for the clash due to a thigh problem.
Additionally, there were worries about Ismael Bennacer after he returned from international duty earlier than expected. He worked with the group in training this week and will be available for selection on Saturday.
Theo Hernandez will serve his suspension on Saturday, which will likely see Alessandro Florenzi return to the starting eleven in Serie A for the first time since March 1. However, he has proven on several occasions to be able to play well in this role, but opposing Nicolas Gonzalez may be a different test to what he has faced before.
According to what is being reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, Theo will be replaced by Florenzi who will shift over to the opposite flank. Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw (or Matteo Gabbia) and Davide Calabria complete the back four in front of Mike Maignan.
In the midfield it should be the duo of Tijjani Rejnders – fresh from his first goal for the Netherlands – and Bennacer, who as said has recovered from his minor discomfort.
Up front, behind Olivier Giroud, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Rafael Leao will certainly start from the start, while Christian Pulisic and Samuel Chukwueze are battling for the other starting shirt (the American was one of the last to return to Milanello after commitments with his national team).
The opponents
Emotions will be high on Saturday as Fiorentina will reflect on the life of their General Manager, Joe Barone, who passed before the international break. This will be the first time La Viola have played since, and especially considering they are at home, emotions will be high.
As per Fiorentina’s statement, the 57-year-old had a major impact on the club but will be remembered most for his personality, often bringing joy at times of struggle and giving his heart and soul to the club.
Whilst the hosts are 11 points away from the Champions League spaces, they are only four points away from Atalanta, who currently occupy the 6th spot in Serie A, and they will hope to make up ground this weekend with a vital three points.
The past six games have seen La Viola remain unbeaten, but they have only won twice, once against Lazio and the other against Maccadbi Haifa in the European Conference League. However, they did not have an easy time in that fixture, conceding three times.
