AC Milan-Inter team news and possible starting line-up – UEFA Champions League semi-final 1st Leg | 10 May 2023
UEFA Champions League is back in action with another round of matches this week as Inter Milan lock horns with Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan side in an exciting semi-final derby at the San Siro.
🇮🇹 The Milan derby is here 😍#UCL pic.twitter.com/OxakbrkybC
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 10, 2023
AC Milan team news
AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli said on Tuesday he would make a late call on Rafael Leao’s participation in Wednesday’s clash after the Portuguese winger suffered a muscle injury.
Leao has been one of Milan’s most influential players this season with 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, but he lasted only 12 minutes of Saturday’s 2-0 win over Lazio before being taken off.
Pioli told reporters Leao would either start the game or not play at all, adding that Belgian winger Alexis Saelemaekers was a potential replacement for Wednesday’s match at the San Siro.
AC Milan, who were dethroned as Serie A champions last week by Napoli, have had a rough run in the league with only three wins in their last 10 games.
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Kjaer, Hernandez; Tonali, Krunic; Diaz, Bennacer, Saelemaekers; Giroud
Inter Milan team news
For his part, Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi underlined the significance of the match, seen as the biggest between the two sides in nearly 20 years.
“It’s not a derby, it’s the derby,” Inzaghi told reporters.
Full-back Robin Gosens is a doubt for Inter Milan after being sidelined lately with a dislocated shoulder. But the 28-year-old said on Instagram on Monday he was “back on track” and fit again “just in time for the big match on Wednesday.”
Inter, meanwhile, initially left Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the bench in Saturday’s game at Stadio Olimpico, but all three could return to the starting lineup in midweek.
A recently revived Romelu Lukaku will have other ideas, though, as Simone Inzaghi has seen signs of life in the Belgian’s once-prosperous pairing with Martinez of late. Dzeko would therefore stay sidelined if the famed ‘Lu-La’ partnership is reunited.
Milan Skriniar joins Robin Gosens in missing out due to injury, but Danilo D’Ambrosio could return to the squad after overcoming a muscular problem.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Lukaku
