Ruben Amorim's AC Milan Home Debut Against Venezia

Ruben Amorim steps into San Siro for the first time as AC Milan coach on Friday night, chasing a perfect start in Serie A and forced to do it without Rafael Leao as transfer noise swirls around his star forward.

The Portuguese coach opened his Italian adventure with a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Torino, a result built on the fearlessness of teenager Alphadjo Cisse and the authority of Adrien Rabiot. Now comes the home unveiling, under the lights, against newly-promoted Venezia.

Amorim keeps faith with his winners

The temptation to tinker is always there for a new coach in a new league. Amorim seems ready to ignore it.

Reports from Sky Sport Italia indicate Milan will go unchanged from the side that won in Turin. That means Cisse, Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are again expected to spearhead the attack in a 3-4-2-1 that looked sharp and aggressive on opening weekend.

Behind them, Mike Maignan starts in goal, protected by a back three of Koni De Winter, Mario Gila and Strahinja Pavlovic. Samuel Chukwueze and Pervis Estupinan should patrol the flanks, with Ardon Jashari and Yunus Musah anchoring the midfield.

Christian Pulisic is set to wait a little longer for a starting berth. Amorim hinted in his pre-match press conference that the American could finally see his first minutes of the season from the bench, a potential game-changer if the contest tightens in the second half.

Leao absent as transfer clock ticks

The big omission is impossible to ignore.

Rafael Leao, former Serie A MVP and Milan’s most explosive attacking outlet, will not be available. The Portugal international continues to be linked with a move away in the final days of the summer window, with Aston Villa and Galatasaray circling.

For now, Milan must live without him. For Amorim, it is both a tactical puzzle and an early test of authority: keep the team steady while one of the club’s crown jewels sits at the centre of the market storm.

Luka Modric, Rabiot and Alexis Saelemaekers are all expected to be part of the matchday squad and are pushing for starting roles. Yet the message from Italy is clear: the coach does not intend to disturb a winning formula unless he has to.

Venezia arrive bruised but unchanged

Venezia’s return to the top flight began with a bump, a 2-0 home defeat to Lecce that exposed the gap between Serie B comfort and Serie A reality. Even so, early indications suggest they will resist sweeping changes for their trip to Milan.

The visitors are likely to line up in a 3-5-2, with Filip Stankovic in goal. His surname will not go unnoticed at San Siro. The son of former Inter midfielder Dejan Stankovic now guards the posts for Venezia and is set for a busy evening.

In front of him, Joel Schingtienne, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Bartol Franjic are expected to form the back three. The midfield five should feature Daouda Hainaut, Matias Perez, Gianluca Busio, Basi and Correia, with the attack led by Kelvin Yeboah and Adams.

They know what awaits them: a charged San Siro, a new Milan coach eager to impress, and an opponent that already looks physically and mentally tuned in.

Probable line-ups

Milan (3-4-2-1): Maignan; De Winter, Gila, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Jashari, Musah, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Cisse; Ramos.

Venezia (3-5-2): Stankovic; Schingtienne, Bella-Kotchap, Franjic; Hainaut, Perez, Busio, Basi, Correia; Yeboah, Adams.

Kick-off at San Siro is scheduled for 19:45 BST.

Supporters in the UK can watch the game live on DAZN, while viewers in the USA will find coverage on Paramount+. The rest will tune in to see whether Amorim’s Milan can build on their opening statement, or if Venezia can rip up the script on the coach’s San Siro debut.