Serie A official week 17 line-ups

On December 21, 2024By Littum

MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 3: Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Coppa Italia match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 3, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Milan will drop Theo Hernandez for the second game in a row, despite an injury crisis that forced Tijjani Reijnders and Filippo Terracciano into new roles against Hellas Verona.

It’s getting started at Stadio Bentegodi 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

Paulo Fonseca is under increasing pressure after just one win in his last five Serie A games and dismal performances, although the Milan fans have largely turned against the players and club owners rather than their coach.

It is also because he takes on Theo Hernandez and drops him for the second game in a row after a poor attitude in the Champions League, when Alex Jimenez was impressive at left-back.

The absentee list just keeps growing for Milan with Alvaro Morata suffering from strep throat, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Yunus Musah, Noah Okafor, Luka Jovic, Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi sidelined.

This means that after trialling 17-year-old Mattia Liberali in midfield against Genoa, this time Fonseca moves full-back Terracciano into that role, pushing Reijnders into the more advanced trequartista position behind Tammy Abraham and Rafael Leao.

PARMA, ITALY - DECEMBER 15: Amin Sarr of Hellas Verona FC scores his team's second goal during the Serie A match between Parma and Verona at Stadio Ennio Tardini on December 15, 2024 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images) — PARMA, ITALY – DECEMBER 15: Amin Sarr of Hellas Verona FC scores his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between Parma and Verona at Stadio Ennio Tardini on December 15, 2024 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)

Verona had been in dire straits with four Serie A defeats in a row and coach Paolo Zanetti seemed certain of the sack as he was beaten 4-1 at home by Empoli.

However, they kept faith in him and he ended that run with a 3-2 win away to Parma.

Aboud Harroui was ruled out for the season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, joining Martin Frese and Juan Manuel Cruz on the treatment table.

Jackson Tchatchoua and Darko Lazovic take the wide roles, with Tomas Suslov supporting Amin Sarr.

It is a busy time for Verona, as the sale from President Maurizio Setti to the American fund Presidio Private Investors is expected to be completed at the end of 2024.

Before kick-off, players from both teams will walk out with seven rescue puppies from a local center who have been ‘adopted’ by Hellas Verona until they can find a forever home.