Preview: Frosinone vs. AC Milan - prediction, team news, lineups

Milan's 2-2 draw with Bologna last time out leaves them adrift of Italy's top two, while their hosts are more concerned with halting a slow slide down the standings.

Match preview

Despite scoring both his second and third goals in two games, Ruben Loftus-Cheek was unable to celebrate victory last week, when Milan missed two penalties en route to letting Bologna steal a point away from San Siro.

City rivals Inter Milan pulled further clear at the summit of Serie A, as recent signing Filippo Terracciano gave away a stoppage-time penalty which was duly converted by Riccardo Orsolini - once again, the Rossoneri let ailing opposition off the hook.

Of 25 goals conceded in the league this season, 17 have been shipped during the second half, compared to just eight before the break; Milan's inability to retain an advantage has seen them left in the wake of Inter and Juventus, who are surely set to scrap it out for the Scudetto.

Stefano Pioli's side - who sit 10 points clear of fourth place - are unbeaten in the league for nearly two months and do still possess one of Serie A's best home records, but they are less reliable on the road.

While Milan have won their last two away fixtures, beating Empoli and Udinese, on Saturday they will aim to post three consecutive away wins for the first time since late 2022.

The second-city giants will do so against opponents they have never lost to in the Italian top flight - and they also average over two goals per game versus Frosinone, who were dispatched 3-1 in December's reverse fixture.

Before that trip to Milan, Frosinone had just won three times out of four in all competitions as they continued to defy expectations upon their return to Serie A.

Several weeks later, though, a series of five defeats in a row was only recently ended by a win and a draw, against struggling Cagliari and Hellas Verona respectively.

Eusebio Di Francesco faced his former club last week, when the Canarini took on Verona at Stadio Bentegodi, and Kaio Jorge followed a late strike at home to Cagliari with the second-half equaliser that secured a 1-1 draw.

Frosinone may have failed to end their wait for an elusive away victory, but they now return to Stadio Stirpe, where they have picked up 20 points from 11 matches - as many as in their previous two Serie A campaigns combined, at this stage of the season.

With only a five-point buffer to the drop zone, last term's Serie B champions are still far from extending their stay in the top flight - particularly with a February fixture list featuring games against Milan, Fiorentina, Roma and Juventus.

Frosinone Serie A form:

L

L

L

L

W

D

Frosinone form (all competitions):

L

L

L

L

W

D

AC Milan Serie A form:

D

W

W

W

W

D

AC Milan form (all competitions):

W

W

L

W

W

D

Team News

Although Ismael Bennacer - who recently returned from the Africa Cup of Nations with a muscular injury - is back in full training, Yacine Adli should once again partner Tijani Reijnders in Milan's engine room this weekend.

Matteo Gabbia is also set to continue in central defence, as Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw and Pierre Kalulu are all unavailable, while Marco Pellegrino has just joined Salernitana on loan.

Olivier Giroud spearheads the Rossoneri's front line, with support from Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the latter of whom has scored five goals in Serie A this season - only in 2018-19 has the Englishman netted more in a league campaign, with six for Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Frosinone could field new arrival Emanuele Valeri at left-back, as fellow defenders Riccardo Marchizza, Anthony Oyono, Mateus Lusuardi and Kevin Bonifazi are all sidelined. Ilario Monterisi made his comeback as a substitute last week, though, and could feature in the hosts' back four.

Another recent signing, Torino loanee Demba Seck, may join Juventus-owned starlet Matias Soule up front. Soule has nine league goals to his name thus far and could become the first man to reach double figures in a single Serie A season for Frosinone.

Frosinone possible starting lineup:

Turati; Monterisi, Okoli, Romagnoli, Valeri; Mazzitelli, Barrenechea, Harroui; Soule, Jorge, Seck

AC Milan possible starting lineup:

Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Gabbia, Hernandez; Reijnders, Adli; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud

We say: Frosinone 1-2 AC Milan

Previews by email