The 21-year-old Luzern captain could be the latest youthful spark in Pioli’s evolving side.
AC Milan finally got the deal over the line for Ardon Jashari, and if you’ve been following this saga, you know it took longer than anyone expected. The Swiss midfielder was in training almost the moment he landed and—judging by the early drills—he’s not here to ease in slowly. He’s already on the squad list for tonight’s pre-season hit-out against Leeds United in Dublin.
It’s the Rossoneri’s second-to-last warm-up before the real thing starts, with Chelsea on the schedule tomorrow. Which means, unless Max Allegri decides to split the squad into two entirely different XIs (he’s done it before), the guys starting tonight are getting what’s basically their final dress rehearsal.
Gazzetta dello Sport reckon we’ll see Jashari in the red-and-black from the opening whistle. That’s not the only curveball — youngster Emanuele Sala, who hasn’t kicked a competitive ball all pre-season, could also get the nod. Bold from Allegri, if it happens.
Up front, Santiago Gimenez finally makes his first pre-season appearance after that extended holiday post-Gold Cup with Mexico. The question is, how quickly can he click into Allegri’s set-up? He looked sharp enough in the warm-up yesterday, but match pace is a different beast.
Likely Milan XI (4-3-3): Terracciano; Magni, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Estupiñán; Musah, Jashari, Sala; Chukwueze, Gimenez, Okafor.
Leeds are expected to mirror the shape. Likely Leeds XI (4-3-3): Meslier; Schmidt, Rodon, Bijol, Gudmundsson; Ampadu, Longstaff, Stach; Gnonto, Piroe, Aaronson.
Anyway, whether it’s a full-on test or just another friendly in name, tonight will tell us a lot about who’s actually ready to start the season — and who still has a week of hard running ahead.
