AC Milan will be bidding to move to within five points of Serie A leaders Napoli when they make the trip to Salernitana on Wednesday.
The Italian champions were last in competitive action on November 13, recording a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina, while Salernitana suffered a 3-0 loss to Monza in their last match before the break.
Match preview
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Salernitana have won four, drawn five and lost six of their 15 Serie A matches this season to collect 17 points, which has left them in 12th position in the table heading into the first set of fixtures at the start of 2023.
The Garnets only returned to Serie A last season after a break of 23 years, and they finished in 17th spot in the table, boasting 31 points from their 38 matches, which left them one point above Cagliari.
As a result, it has been a successful campaign to date, with the team sitting 10 points clear of the relegation zone, but they have lost their last two in the league to Fiorentina and Monza.
Davide Nicola's side were knocked out of the Coppa Italia at the start of August, so they only have the league to worry about for the rest of the season, which should help them when it comes to battling for survival.
Salernitana suffered a 2-0 loss to Milan at San Siro last season, but they secured a point in a 2-2 draw when the two teams locked horns in the reverse match.
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Milan, meanwhile, were last in competitive action on November 13, with a 91st-minute own goal from Nikola Milenkovic handing them a 2-1 success over Fiorentina at San Siro.
The Red and Blacks are currently second in the table, boasting 33 points from their 15 league matches courtesy of a record of 10 wins, three draws and two defeats.
Milan are eight points behind leaders Napoli, but they will have the chance to cut the gap to five points before Napoli continue their Serie A campaign away to Inter Milan on Wednesday night.
Stefano Pioli's side won the title last season, finishing two points ahead of second-placed Inter Milan, but they have a serious fight on their hands to retain the championship this term.
Milan only have the fifth-best away record in Serie A this season, dropping points in four of their seven matches, while they will be taking on a Salernitana outfit that have lost just two of their seven games in front of their own supporters.
Team News
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Salernitana will again be without the services of Pasquale Mazzocchi due to a knee injury, while Norbert Gyomber remains a doubt for the home side due to a hamstring issue.
Boulaye Dia is the team's leading goalscorer in Serie A this season with six, and the 26-year-old will again operate in the final third of the field for the hosts.
There are unlikely to be any major surprises in the Salernitana XI, but Nicola's side will have to do without Antonio Candreva following his red card against Monza last time out.
As for Milan, Fode Ballo-Toure, Ante Rebic, Divock Origi, Alessandro Florenzi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic remain on the sidelines through injury.
Meanwhile, Junior Messias and Mike Maignan are unlikely to be available for selection.
Milan had two players involved in the final of the 2022 World Cup in the shape of Theo Hernandez and Olivier Giroud, and the duo are expected to be in the starting XI here.
Meanwhile, there should be another start for Rafael Leao, who has scored six goals and registered five assists in 14 Serie A appearances during the 2022-23 campaign.
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Sepe; Bronn, Daniliuc, Pirola; Mazzocchi, Coulibaly, Radovanovic, Maggiore, Bradaric; Dia, Piatek
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Tatarusanu; Kalulu, Thiaw, Tomori, T Hernandez; Tonali, Bennacer; Krunic, Diaz, Leao; Giroud
We say: Salernitana 1-2 AC Milan
Milan must keep winning in order to stay in touch with Napoli at a key stage of the season, and we are expecting the reigning champions to navigate their way to an important three points on Wednesday, but they might have to suffer for stages of the contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
