AC Milan return to italian league action at San Siro on Saturday night after their midweek Coppa Italia

AC Milan return to Serie A action at San Siro on Saturday night after their midweek Coppa Italia clash as they welcome Fiorentina.

Milan come into the game having drawn 1-1 against Inter in the first leg of their cup semi-final, and at present that is their most realistic route into a European competition for next season. However, they must also keep plugging away in the league too.

The Rossoneri currently sit in ninth place in the table, nine points away from fourth place and with nine defeats in Serie A. Simply put, it has been an unacceptable campaign and the team have the obligation to finish strongly.

As mentioned, the midweek game means that Milan will come into this perhaps feeling a bit more fatigued than their visitors. However, there were some positive signs in that game after the defeat to Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona a few days prior.

Sergio Conceicao seemed to really like what he saw from his side in the game against the Nerazzurri, praising the intelligence with which they played and the way that they were compact and organised when under pressure.

Now the challenge is to follow it up with a similarly positive performance and to get an even better result, against a side that at present have a much bigger hope of getting into at least the Europa League positions.

The good news from the derby was that Malick Thiaw recovered from a stomach bug that kept him out vs. Napoli and was able to start. There were also no further injury worries from the derby, certainly a welcome boost.

That means the only injury absentees are Ruben Loftus-Cheek – who needed emergency surgery on his appendix – and Emerson Royal. It is believed that the midfielder is around 30 days from returning, and the full-back 20. Alex Jimenez will also miss out through suspension.

In defence, there is only one change expected in central defender, with Matteo Gabbia set to lose his starting place to Fikayo Tomori. So, this leaves Mike Maignan, Kyle Walker, Malick Thiaw and Theo Hernandez all in the same positions.

Youssouf Fofana’s position will be retained in midfield, though his partner is currently uncertain. Tijjani Reijnders is expected to start, but he missed training earlier, which would see Yunus Musah come into the starting lineup.

Ahead of them, Christian Pulisic will start centrally once again, and on the right, Samuel Chukwueze will be given a rare opportunity to start, whilst on the left, Rafael Leao is expected.

Tammy Abraham, after his goal in midweek, is also expected to retain his place, and rightly so.

Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Walker, Tomori, Thiaw, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders (Musah); Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Abraham.