Christian Pulisic celebrates after Milan’s goal against Inter (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Milan will field Alvaro Morata in support of Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao in the match away to Lecce, despite the Spanish international’s form problems.
It starts at San Siro at 19.45pm UK time (18.45pm GMT).
You can follow all the construction and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
The Rossoneri started their season with a 2–1 victory in the Derby della Madonnina against bitter rivals Inter Milan, which was their second consecutive Serie A victory, despite a 3–1 defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League.
Manager Paulo Fonseca seems to have found the right tactical balance with Morata in the deepest role supporting Abraham, but the Spain international is not in the best form and will not be put at risk.
Loftus-Cheek, on the other hand, plays as an attacking midfielder, supported by Rafael Leao and Pulisic.
Davide Calabria, Noah Okafor, Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Sportiello are also injured.
Curiously, although the starting line-up is the same one that beat Inter, this time the captain’s armband is entrusted to Rafael Leao and not Theo Hernandez.
Lecce are unbeaten in three rounds, including a 0-0 draw away to current surprising Serie A leaders Torino.
However, last week they led 2-0 against Parma in the 91st minute before a stunning capitulation to draw 2-2.
Frederic Guilbert was sent off in that match and is therefore suspended, while Nicola Sansone, Kevin Bonifazi, Medon Berisha, Joan Gonzalez and Mohamed Kaba are out of the game.
Nikola Krstovic was hit by a knock and missed several opportunities against Parma, but is still a starter.
Ante Rebic, a former AC Milan player who joined Lecce as a free agent this summer, returns to San Siro.
The Rossoneri are unbeaten against Lecce since losing 1-0 away in April 2006; the only home defeat was 2-1 in October 1997.
The AC Milan-Lecce lineups
Milano: Maignan; Emerson Royal, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Pulisic, Fofana, Reijnders, Leao; Morata, Abramo
Leccese: Falcon; Dorgu, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo; Ramadani, Coulibaly, Pierret; Dying, Rebic; Krstovic
16
22
23
46
19
14
29
7
11
10
90
30
25
6
4
13
75
29
20
3
9
7
42
8
9
31
21
28
80
18
33
96
25
98
23
32
8
1
2
36
22
10
50
27
19