Serie A official line-ups: Cremonese vs. Milan
Milan hope Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Luka Modric can secure revenge against Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese and keep up with leaders Inter ahead of the derby.
It kicks off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini in Cremona at 11.30 GMT (12.30 CET).
The pressure is on the Rossoneri to keep up the pace with Inter, who beat Genoa 2-0 last night to temporarily extend the gap to 13 points.
They are fresh off a shock 1-0 home defeat to Parma, and their only other Serie A loss had been against Cremonese in the opening weekend.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek suffered a nasty facial fracture in that game and will be out for two months, while Matteo Gabbia pulled up in the warm-up of that match and is still out of action.
Santiago Gimenez is the long-term absentee, but Leao and Pulisic reunite in attack, with support from Modric, Adrien Rabiot and returning Youssouf Fofana.
There is also danger, as Fofana, Rabiot, Alexis Saelemaekers and Zachary Athekame are one yellow card away from suspension for the derby with Inter.
Cremonese might’ve started the season strong, but they’ve had disastrous recent form, managing four draws in the last 12 rounds.
Their last victory was 2-0 against Lecce on December 7 and it’s clear where the problems lie, scoring just three goals ever since.
Federico Baschirotto, Faris Moumbagna and Michele Collocolo are all injured, but Romano Floriani Mussoli returns to the bench.
Vardy was dropped last week against Roma, but returns to the starting XI this morning instead of January signing Milan Djuric.
It is a special game for Filippo Terracciano and Warren Bondo, who are on loan from Milan, but on the bench initially.
Cremonese vs. Milan line-ups
Cremonese: Audero; Folino, Bianchetti, Luperto; Zerbin, Thorsby, Maleh, Vandeputte, Pezzella; Bonazzoli, Vardy
Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao