After suffering a streak of three back-to-back 2-1 losses in Serie A, Milan is poised for a dramatic shift in strategy as they gear up to face Lecce this weekend. Reports emerging on Wednesday suggest that Milan manager, Sergio Conceicao, is ready to revamp his team in a bid to halt their ongoing slump.
The Rossoneri, once a dominant force in Serie A, have slid down to ninth place in the league standings after consecutive 2-1 losses to Torino, Bologna, and most recently, Lazio. The club is now a staggering 11 points adrift of the crucial Champions League qualifying positions and a whopping 18 points behind arch-rivals Inter Milan, who currently lead the championship. It’s clear that Milan is facing an uphill battle if they hope to secure a spot in the Champions League.
In light of their recent defeat to Lazio, Conceicao is reportedly considering a series of adjustments to his starting eleven for the crucial away game against Lecce this weekend. Two changes are inevitable, given that both Mike Maignan and Strahinja Pavlovic have received one-match suspensions, ruling them out of the upcoming clash.
This opens up opportunities for Marco Sportiello or Lorenzo Torriani to step up as the goalkeeper, and for either Fikayo Tomori or Malick Thiaw to fill in the centre-half position. If Theo is sidelined for the Lecce match, Alex Jimenez is the likely replacement.
Furthermore, there could be a significant reshuffle in the forward line if Rafael Leao is benched, with the possibility of Riccardo Sottil, a recent acquisition in January, taking up the position on the left wing. Alternatively, Samuel Chukwueze could be deployed on the right, pushing Christian Oulisic to the left.
The stakes are high for Milan as they look to turn their fortunes around, and these potential changes could be the shake-up they need to reignite their campaign. Fans and critics alike will be eagerly watching the Lecce encounter, which could mark a pivotal point in Milan’s season.