Sky: Predicted Milan XI to face Sassuolo – Amorim to go with a 4-4-1-1

Serie A is back after the extended international break, and a tricky trip to Sassuolo is what greets Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan.

The break brought mixed news for Amorim, as Goncalo Ramos and Alphadjo Cisse were among those who shone, but a major injury to Alexis Saelemaekers and a few other physical concerns gave him some restless nights no doubt.

An away match against Sassuolo is a tough welcome back to domestic action, especially given that it begins a run of seven games between now and the end of the calendar month, from October 11 to the derby on October 31.

AC Milan’s predicted XI vs. Sassuolo

Sky have published the expected starting line-up based on their information, and what is immediately interesting is that they have it as a back four of Mario Gila, Koni De Winter, Strahinja Pavlovic and Davide Bartesaghi.

Samuel Chukwueze and Diego Moreira are down as the wide midfielders on the right and left respectively, flanking the double pivot of Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot.

Rather than stick with two attacking midfielders behind Goncalo Ramos, Amorim is apparently inclined to just use Christian Pulisic as the lone playmaker, perhaps pushing up to play alongside the Portuguese at times as we hypothesised.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Gila; De Winter/Gabbia, Pavlovic, Bartesaghi; Chukwueze, Modric, Rabiot, Moreira/Cisse, Pulisic, Ramos.