Sportiello prepares for third start as Maignan will miss Sassuolo clash

Marco Sportiello will start between the sticks for AC Milan in the clash against Sassuolo tomorrow, according to a report. Mike Maignan is suffering from fatigue and the decision was thus made to leave him out of the squad.

It has been a hectic schedule for Milan recently and with the reverse leg against Roma scheduled for next week, heavy rotation is expected against Sassuolo. However, a change that wasn’t expected will be made in goal, as Maignan hasn’t been called up for the game.

According to Sky Italia, as cited by Francesco Nasato, Maignan is struggling with some fatigue and the medical staff decided to rule him out. There are no concerns ahead of the game against Roma, though, as the exclusion for tomorrow is simply a precaution.

Milan’s No.2, namely Sportiello, will thus play from the first minute tomorrow and it remains to be seen how he will get on. He’s a very experienced goalkeeper in Serie A and has great qualities, but it’s always difficult for goalkeepers when they haven’t played much.

In total, Pioli will make nine changes to the starting eleven and this is certainly bold. However, there is more or less nothing to play for in the league, with the Europa League now being the clear priority.