Milan vs Roma: Hernandez returns to left-back as midfield revamped

Milan is set to face Roma in a crucial Serie A clash as they aim to consolidate their position in third place and keep their hopes alive for a top-four finish. Both teams are under pressure following their recent elimination from the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. Milan will be without several key players due to injury, including Alessandro Florenzi, Marco Pellegrino, Tommaso Pobega, Pierre Kalulu, Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori, Marco Sportiello, and Mattia Caldara. Additionally, Ismael Bennacer and Samuel Chukwueze are on international duty, but Noah Okafor has recovered and is available on the bench.

One major change for Milan is the return of Theo Hernandez to his natural left-back position after playing as a center-back in recent weeks. Yacine Adli will step into the midfield to fill the void left by the injured players. Ruben Loftus-Cheek will move forward to play as a trequartista behind Olivier Giroud, with Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao providing support in the attack.

Roma, on the other hand, will be without key players like Paulo Dybala, Renato Sanches, Chris Smalling, Tammy Abraham, and Marash Kumbulla due to injuries. They also have several players on international duty, including Sardar Azmoun, Evan Ndicka, and Houssem Aouar. Former Milan player Stephan El Shaarawy will start alongside Romelu Lukaku in the attack, while Dean Huijsen will once again feature in the defense. Zeki Celik will have the challenging task of containing the threat from Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez on the flank.

In a surprising move, Roma coach Jose Mourinho has decided to drop Rui Patricio and give goalkeeper Mile Svilar his first Serie A start. However, Mourinho will not be able to guide his team from the touchline as he serves a suspension following his red card for dissent in the draw against Atalanta.

Both teams are eager to secure a victory in this match, as neither of them has won their previous meetings. Milan and Roma have faced each other eight times since October 2019, with Roma failing to secure a win and experiencing five defeats. Milan’s last victory against Roma at San Siro was in October 2017 when they won 2-0.