Having lost 5-1 against Inter Milan at the weekend, there was almost an expectation for Stefano Pioli to make changes ahead of the Champions League game against Newcastle United.
A lot of the attention has been spent on Sandro Tonali, who is expected to start against his former club on Tuesday, but the Serie A side will look a bit different to the side that kicked off against their rivals.
This is according to Corriere dello Sport, who make it clear in their headline that ‘there’s a surprise in midfield’ after Pioli decided to ‘change something’.
This is allegedly done to provide ‘greater physicality’ against a Newcastle side boasting strong players in the heart of their midfield.
Elsewhere, Christian Pulisic is expected to regain his spot in the starting XI, while Fikayo Tomori returns as well, where he will be partnered by Malick Thiaw after missing out on the derby due to the two yellow cards he picked up against AS Roma.
Whether this changes anything in Eddie Howe’s mind as to how his Newcastle team will begin the upcoming clash remains to be seen, but Pioli is seemingly ready for a battle to redeem himself after suffering an embarrassing defeat on Saturday.
