Chukwueze set for Sansiro bow

Samuel Chukwueze looks set to make his home debut for AC Milan when they host Torino in a Serie A game on Saturday.

Chukwueze recently joined AC Milan after spending the last seven years with Villarreal, winning the Europa League in 2021 after a penalty shootout win over Manchester United.

The 24-year-old Nigeria international came off the bench to make his Serie A debut in the 74th minute, when he replaced new signing Christian Pulisic.

Kicking off their quest to regain the Scudetto after last year’s dismal title defence, Milan made a convincing start by beating Bologna at Stadio Dall’Ara on Monday.

Fourth-place finishers last term, Stefano Pioli’s side lost club icon Paolo Maldini and midfield maestro Sandro Tonali during the summer, but the latter’s departure to Newcastle United at least provided funds to re-shape a thin squad.

One of several arrivals at San Siro was Christian Pulisic, who emphatically put his new club two goals ahead in Bologna midway through the first half, after veteran striker Olivier Giroud had got off the mark early on.

Reports suggest a new centre-forward will soon take Milan’s total of summer signings up to double figures, but 36-year-old Giroud remains first-choice for now, with support from the likes of Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Chukwueze.

A 2-0 victory on the opening day means that Pioli has won all four of his Serie A season openers with Milan to date, and the Rossoneri have now won each of their last four Serie A matches stretching back to the end of last season.

As they aim to extend that sequence in their first home fixture of 2023-24, Milan tackle a team they have recently dominated: although they did lose 2-1 in Turin last October, Pioli’s men have won five of their last seven league matches against Torino and lost only one.

While they equally split six points with Milan last term, Torino’s most recent away win against them in Serie A came as far back as March 1985. In fact, Toro have lost 19 times and drawn on eight occasions since their last such success.