Having made their worst start to a season since 2018, AC Milan will try to halt Inter Milan's six-game winning streak in the Derby della Madonnina when the two teams convene at San Siro on Sunday evening.
The Milan derby comes amid speculation about Paulo Fonseca's position as manager, so the stakes will be particularly high when selecting his starting XI to face the Italian champions.
Despite being substituted during Tuesday's 3-1 Champions League defeat to Liverpool, goalkeeper Mike Maignan has won a race against time to overcome a knee injury - believed to be bruising - so teenager Lorenzo Torriani has been stood down.
Elsewhere, Milan will be without Ismael Bennacer (ankle), Alessandro Florenzi (ACL) and Malick Thiaw (ankle), plus captain Davide Calabria, who is struggling with some muscular fatigue.
With Calabria absent, Emerson Royal continues in the problem right-back position, as Fonseca considers switching to a 4-4-2 formation.
Although alternatives such as Noah Okafor and Samu Chukwueze are available, the Rossoneri's attack should again feature Alvaro Morata, Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao, while Tammy Abraham could also join them.
Leao has a point to prove this weekend, as across the past 15 derbies he has been on the winning side just three times - losing 10 - while making only five goal contributions.
AC Milan possible starting lineup: Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Pulisic, Fofana, Reijnders, Leao; Abraham, Morata
> Click here to see how Inter Milan could line up for Sunday's Derby della Madonnina
Jonathan O'Shea
