Official: AC Milan vs. Lazio starting XIs – one change from Inter win

AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has named his starting line-up for the Saturday night Serie A clash at San Siro against Lazio.

It feels like a tricky test against Maurizio Sarri’s men is a certainty given that they have lost just once in their last eight league games. However, Milan are 11 unbeaten in Serie A themselves, and they beat Inter in the derby last Sunday to move second.

AC Milan vs. Lazio: Official starting XIs

Allegri has a notable absence to contend with: Christian Pulisic complained of muscle fatigue in training during the week, and will sit out. Santiago Gimenez and Zachary Athekame are the other two unavailable players.

Mike Maignan will be between the posts with the captain’s armband on again, hoping to repeat his derby heroics, or ideally have less work to do. Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic will line up ahead of him as the three-man defence.

Alexis Saelemaekers has overcome a back issue that forced him to leave training early during on of the sessions during the week and he starts at right wing-back, while Davide Bartesaghi is on the other flank. Adrien Rabiot, Luka Modric and Youssouf Fofana are the unchanged midfield trio.

Christopher Nkunku has been given the nod to start up front alongside Rafael Leao given the absence of other forwards. The likes of Koni De Winter, Pervis Estupinan, Samuele Ricci, Ardon Jashari and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are on the bench, but the squad is looking depleted again.

Official Milan XI (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Nkunku, Leao.

Bench: Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Nkunku, Leao.

Official Lazio XI (4-3-3): Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Vecino, Basic; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni.

Bench: Mandas, Furlanetto, Lazzari, Nuno Tavares, Patric, Provstgaard, Belahyane, Pedro, Noslin, Dele-Bashiru, Castellanos.