Tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 PM Italian time (7:30 PM Singapore time), AC Milan will face Arsenal at the National Stadium. Several key absences will compel coach Massimiliano Allegri to implement tactical variations.
Facing Arsenal will be no walk in the park, and Massimiliano Allegri is well aware of this. Not only are the Gunners a formidable side, having finished second in the last Premier League season, but AC Milan will also be missing several key players for tomorrow evening`s match (kick-off at 7:30 PM in Singapore, 1:30 PM Italian time). Beyond Modric and Gimenez, who are on vacation, Fofana and Jimenez will also be unavailable, though the Frenchman has been training intensively ahead of his teammates` session, and the Spaniard is also recovering. Consequently, the Livorno-born coach`s options are severely limited. Nevertheless, he has managed to introduce an element of surprise in his quest for a defensive balance that he deems essential for a strong start to the new season.
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Three at the Back and Rafa
By Saturday in Hong Kong against Liverpool, Fofana and Jimenez are expected to return, and the squad might also welcome the nearly finalized new signing, Estupinan. However, with the Arsenal match looming, Max (Allegri) tested a three-man defense comprising Tomori, Thiaw, and Pavlovic. Saelemaekers on the right and Bartesaghi on the left were deployed as wing-backs rather than traditional wide midfielders. In the center, Ricci was flanked by Musah and Loftus-Cheek.
Upfront, Rafael Leao played as the central striker, with Pulisic often dropping back from the left to complete a 5-4-1 formation. When in possession, the system fluidly shifted into a 4-4-2, with Tomori wide on the right, Saelemaekers pushing forward on that flank (Pulisic remaining on the left), and Loftus-Cheek supporting Rafa, who continued in his unaccustomed role as a number 9. Allegri frequently urged the Portuguese forward to press, and Leao, to his credit, demonstrated considerable commitment.
