AC Milan Names Starting XI for Genoa Match with Key Changes

GENOA, Italy — AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao has announced his starting lineup for the Serie A clash against Genoa on Monday evening. After a recent victory against Venezia, the Rossoneri are keen to continue their momentum amidst a challenging season.

In his pre-match press conference, Conceicao emphasized the importance of winning for two main reasons: to fulfill fans’ expectations and to build confidence ahead of the Coppa Italia final. The team aims to secure points to close the gap on European qualification spots, although they are currently in ninth place.

Despite welcoming back Emerson Royal and Luka Jovic to training, the team faces setbacks as Riccardo Sottil and Warren Bondo have sustained muscle injuries. Milan has opted for a three-man defense consisting of Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, and Alex Jimenez, who will protect goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

In the midfield, Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders will serve as the double pivot, supported by wing-backs Jimenez and Theo Hernandez. Christian Pulisic will operate on the right wing while Ruben Loftus-Cheek takes the left position, with Jovic returning to the forefront as the center-forward. Rafael Leao will start the match on the bench.

The official AC Milan lineup is as follows: Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Jimenez, Fofana, Reijnders, Hernandez; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek; Jovic. On the bench, the team includes Sportiello, Torriani; Florenzi, Terracciano, Walker, Thiaw, Bartesaghi, Musah; Leao, Camarda, Chukwueze, Gimenez, and Joao Felix.

Genoa, on the other hand, will start with a lineup of Leali; Norton-Cuffy, De Winter, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup (c), Masini; Thorsby, Messias, Sabelli; Pinamonti. They are looking to bounce back from recent struggles in the league.

Kick-off for the match is scheduled for 19:45 BST. Fans can watch the match live in the UK through OneFootball, while viewers in the USA can tune in via Paramount+. The game will also be available on FuboTV in Canada and BeIN Sports in Australia.