Pioli to overhaul midfield in the absence of Kessie and Bennacer

Stefano Pioli is planing important changes in midfield to adapt during the absence of Franck Kessie and Ismael Bennacer.

Serie A will restart on 6 January with a big match against Roma at San Siro. However, Milan will return to training at Milanello tomorrow afternoon. The squad will be without Franck Kessie and Ismael Bennacer, as well as Fode Ballo-Toure, who have been called up by their respective national teams for the Africa Cup which will be staged in Cameroon from 9 January to 6 February 2022.

Stefano Pioli will have to do without them for a few weeks and for this reason he is studying how to overhaul the midfield with two key players like Kessie and Bennacer absent. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the only certainty is Sandro Tonali, who will be given the keys to the Rossoneri midfielder. Next to him will be one between Tiemoue Bakayoko and Rade Krunic, who, for different reasons, are a bit of a puzzle.

The French is perhaps the most logical solution but his first part of the season was very underwhelming. Stefano Pioli, on the other hand, has great faith in the Bosnian but when deployed in the central midfielder position in the past Krunic has not fared well.

There could be a third alternative but it would involve a change of formation and the transition to a classic 4-3-3. In a three-man midfield, Tonali would be the director in front of the defense, while the two other midfielders could be Rade Krunic and Alessandro Florenzi, with the latter who has already occupied this role in his career.

Nor is it entirely excluded that the AC Milan coach may get some help from the transfer market. The Rossoneri tried to anticipate Yacine Adli’s arrival at Milanello by six months but without success. Nevertheless, Maldini is still monitoring the market for opportunities.

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