AC Milan will take on Udinese at the Stadio Friuli in Friday night’s game, hoping for a win to kick start a better ending to a dismal season.
Given Milan are ninth in the table and fourth place is nine points away, the season finale is looking like a damp squib. Sergio Conceicao seems to be fighting a losing battle too, as pretty much every source is in agreement that he will leave the Rossoneri, with some big changes plotted.
Nonetheless, this morning’s papers are suggesting that he will role out a new tactical approach against Udinese. Kyle Walker’s injury seems to have prompted a switch to a three-man defence, more specifically a 3-4-3 system.
The five key battles
Starting with the man who will lead the line for Milan in Santiago Gimenez’s absence, tonight’s game will be another big chance for Tammy Abraham. The Englishman is aiming to convince enough to earn a permanent move, and two goals in his last two games have certainly assisted his cause. A few more between now and June would help even more.
Udinese are also expected to line up with a three-man defence that will feature Jake Bijol as the middle man. He has been the anchor of the defence for some time, and he is the most-used player by Kosta Runjaić in terms of starts, with 32 across all competitions. The 26-year-old is tall, physical and will be up for the battle.
