Missing Players and team news:
Milan should have Rafael Leao back in the squad on Saturday, as the forward – who has been struggling with a muscle problem since the defeat to Napoli 3 weeks ago – returned to training in midweek. The elusive 21-year-old, with five goals and five assists this term, will most likely be offered a return from the bench. Fellow forward Mario Mandzukic also returned to full group training this week and should be available to face Parma. Though the Croatian joined the Rossoneri as a free agent in January as cover for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he has only featured in five games since, having missed the last ten with a muscle injury. Though not ready for this trip to the Tardini, full-back Davide Calabria could be back in action as soon as next week after undergoing an operation on his right knee. The defensive mainstay has been out since the win over Verona in early March, so either Diogo Dalot or Pierre Kalulu will continue to cover. Brahim Diaz and Alessio Romagnoli are both still out of action too, with the latter’s absence keeping the door open to an extended run for the Simon Kjaer-Fikayo Tomori partnership in central defence. One of the few benefits of having a bloated and unbalanced squad for Parma coach Roberto D’Aversa is that the injury absences of players including Juan Brunetta, Wylan Cyprien, Simone Iacoponi – plus forward trio Roberto Inglese, Yann Karamoh and Bayern Munich loanee Joshua Zirkzee (now out for the rest of the season) – can be covered without serious concern. Andrea Conti, on loan from Milan, returned to the bench last week and is now likely to reclaim the right-back berth against his parent club, while Valentin Mihalia will compete with Gervinho and Dennis Man for one of the two wide attacking spots in the Gialloblu’s 4-3-3. Former Feyenoord and Southampton striker Graziano Pelle is expected to continue at centre-forward, ahead of goal-shy alternative Andreas Cornelius.
