AC Milan and Hellas Verona will lock horns at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Sunday in the Serie A encounter.
The Rossoneri are in second place with 32 points and can move to the top of the table with a victory.
AC Milan vs Hellas Verona – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 28th December.
- Kick-off: 11:30am BST.
- Venue: San Siro, Milan.
AC Milan team news
Massimiliano Allegri confirmed that Rafael Leao will not be available for Sunday’s fixture due to the thigh discomfort that continues to hamper the Portuguese winger. Leao has been a key player this season but has struggled with inconsistent fitness, forcing Milan to manage his workload carefully.
Matteo Gabbia is expected to be sidelined with a knee injury that forced him off during the Sassuolo clash, with the Italian centre-back unlikely to feature against Verona or in the trip to Cagliari next weekend. Koni De Winter is expected to continue in the centre of defence alongside Fikayo Tomori and Strahinja Pavlovic.
Santiago Giménez remains unavailable as he continues his ankle rehabilitation, though the promising signs suggest his return is imminent.
Christopher Nkunku and Christian Pulisic will lead Milan’s attacking efforts with Leao sidelined. Pulisic has been in exceptional form this season, scoring 7 goals in 10 Serie A appearances, putting him among the league’s top scorers.
Hellas Verona team news
Rafiq Belghali and Martin Frese are both suspended for the match although the former is unavailable anyway due to his national duty for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Jean Daniel Akpa-Akpro and Tomas Suslove are sidelined as well due to their respective injuries and will not be involved in the match.
Domagoj Bradarić is unavailable with a muscle injury, further depleting Verona’s defensive resources as they prepare for the daunting trip to Milan.
Form
AC Milan
Milan won four of their last six league matches but have also drawn with Sassuolo and Parma.
The Rossoneri suffered a 2-2 draw with Sassuolo last time out, where they squandered a one-goal lead in the 77th minute. But they are yet to lose a single match after their shocking defeat in the opening day match in the league.
Hellas Verona
Verona has shown marked improvement in recent weeks, securing victories against both Fiorentina (2-1) and Atalanta (3-1) following a difficult period. This also marks their only two wins in this season so far. They currently sit 18th in the table with 12 points from 15 matches
Predicted lineups
AC Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Wintr, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Rabiot; Bartesaghi; Nkunku, Pulisic.
Hellas Verona: Montipo; Nunez, Nelsson, Bella; Valentini, Niasse, Gagliardini, Bernede, Al Musrati; Orban, Mosquera.
How to watch AC Milan vs Hellas Verona?
The match will be broadcast on DAZN and Sky Sport (Italy). Supporters can stream the fixture through official Serie A streaming services.
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