Milan have been trying to acquire a new attacking midfielder ever since Hakan Calhanoglu bolted. Their attempts have been in vain thus far, and Brahim Diaz is currently the only option for the role. For such reason, coach Stefano Pioli could open the season with a slightly different tactic than usual, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
The gaffer opted for 4-4-2 in the last friendly against Panathinaikos. Olivier Giroud paired up with Ante Rebic in the two-man frontline, and both looked very at ease. The outlet adds that it would not be surprising if Milan used the same scheme next Monday versus Sampdoria.
The Frenchman appeared more involved in the Trieste match than in previous ones. The presence of another striker allowed him to peel back more and participate in the build-up. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will likely miss the first two tilts as he is completing the rehab from knee surgery, likes to do the same.
The downside is that the left chain did not seem as well-oiled as in other instances. Rafael Leao has not fully mastered that role. It could be necessary to insert somebody with a higher work rate, similar to Alexis Saelemaekers on the right flank. But the Portuguese attacker could easily feature second-striker in this formation.
Milan will continue looking for a new trequartista in the last two weeks of the window. Nikola Vlasic is the frontrunner, but the talks with CSKA Moscow have not been fruitful. If they could not add another piece, Pioli would make do with what he already has at his disposal.