Done Deal: AC Milan Has Signed FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong After………….read more.

Done Deal: AC Milan Has Signed FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong After………….read more.

AC Milan will kick off their 2024-25 season and the Paulo Fonseca era on Saturday night when they face Torino at San Siro.

Milan has enjoyed a very successful preseason under their new manager, securing wins against Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona in the United States before clinching the Silvio Berlusconi Trophy with a victory over Monza on Tuesday.

However, preseason victories are only valuable if they translate into a strong start in the league, a point that Fonseca emphasized during his pre-match press conference.

Match details
Date:** Saturday, August 16
Kick-off time:** 20:45 (CEST)
Venue:** San Siro
Referee:** Fabio Maresca (VAR: Doveri)

Team news
Fonseca will have a nearly full-strength squad for his debut match, with no injury concerns. However, Emerson Royal has not been included due to bureaucratic reasons, and Youssouf Fofana has not yet joined the team, though his absence for the first match was expected.

Recent reports suggest only two positions in the starting lineup are still uncertain. In defense, it appears that Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, and Theo Hernandez will start. Gabbia seems to have edged out Malick Thiaw for the center-back spot, which isn’t surprising given his strong performances last season.

In midfield, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is likely to partner with Ismael Bennacer, who has been a standout during preseason and is expected to start most matches alongside Tijjani Reijnders, who returned late after the Euros.

In attack, the second area of uncertainty is between Samuel Chukwueze and Alexis Saelemaekers on the wing. Both players impressed during preseason, but Chukwueze appears to have the edge and is likely to start, having shown great enthusiasm in recent games.

Milan’s new No.7, Alvaro Morata, is set to lead the line. His performance against Monza was promising, and his mobility as a striker offers a different dynamic compared to Olivier Giroud, which could be beneficial given the qualities of the wingers.

Overall, Fonseca is expected to field a strong starting XI, with a solid bench featuring the likes of Strahinja Pavlovic, Reijnders, Noah Okafor, and Luka Jovic, who can all make an impact in the second half.

**Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1):** Maignan; Calabria, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Bennacer, Loftus-Cheek; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Morata.