Stefano Pioli will rest Milan’s primary attacking duo, Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud, against Sassuolo.
Milan coach Stefano Pioli is planning to rest top forwards Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud ahead of tomorrow’s match against Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium.
According to Milanese newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian tactician is expected to start Noah Okafor and Luka Jovic against the Nerroverdi in order to allow the Portuguese international and French veteran to rest ahead of their mid-week Europa League quarter-finals second leg against Roma, in which they are currently trailing 1-0 on aggregate.
Despite a sluggish and underwhelming start since joining the Milanese club on loan from Fiorentina until the end of the season, Jovic has found his stride under Pioli’s leadership, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 20 Serie A games, demonstrating growth in his attacking movements and link-up play with his teammates.
Furthermore, the match against Sassuolo presents the 23-year-old Swiss international with a significant opportunity to regain on-field confidence after suffering multiple pauses in his playing time owing to injuries, as well as his difficult fight to maintain consistency.
While Inter are on the verge of winning their 20th scudetto in the coming weeks, it appears that Pioli is willing to prioritize the Europa League in the hopes that allowing his clinical goal scorers to recover against coach Davide Ballardini’s side will allow for a turnaround in their European cup tie at the Stadio Olimpico.