Milan predicted lineup vs Inter - Serie A

Milan are the designated hosts of Sunday evening's eagerly anticipated derby duel against city rivals Inter at San Siro.

Stefano Pioli has led his side to a club-record start of ten wins from their opening 11 Serie A matches, yet Milan come into the weekend still awaiting a Champions League victory in their first season of Europe's premier competition for seven years.

Here's the XI Pioli may deploy to ensure their domestic campaign continues to operate in blissful isolation to their continental failings.

Milan predicted lineup vs Inter - Serie A

1. Goalkeeper & defenders

Ciprian Tatarusanu (GK) - While Mike Maignan remains sidelined with a wrist injury, Romania's number one will continue to ably fill in between the sticks.

Davide Calabria (RB) - Despite an injury scare in midweek against Porto, Milan should be able to call upon arguably Serie A's best full-back on current form.

Simon Kjaer (CB) - The well-travelled Dane appears to have found a home in Milan, establishing himself as the senior element of the centre-back pairing ahead of club captain Alessio Romagnoli.

Fikayo Tomori (CB) - Milan's most used player this season doesn't look like relinquishing his in-demand status any time soon.

Fode Ballo-Toure (LB) - With Theo Hernandez sidelined by suspension, Ballo-Toure is set to reprise his role as the Frenchman's understudy.

2. Midfielders

Franck Kessie (CM) - While negotiations over a new contract drag on, Kessie remains a central cog in the Milan machine, but for how much longer?

Sandro Tonali (CM) - After a debut campaign so underwhelming Milan were able to allow his loan to expire and then sign him permanently for a lower sum than his original fee, Tonali has begun to show the form that first enticed the Rossoneri.

Brahim Diaz (AM) - In his second season on loan from Real Madrid, Diaz is one goal shy of matching his Serie A tally for the entirety of the previous campaign (four).

3. Forwards

Alexis Saelemaekers (RW) - One of five players to have featured in every Milan game this term, the hard-working Belgian winger plays a selfless, if functional, role in Pioli's high pressing system.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (ST) - Despite being closer in age to the referees than his teammates, the timeless 40-year-old has averaged a goal every 94 Serie A minutes since the start of last season.

Raphael Leao (LW) - Milan's top scorer this season (with just five across all competitions) has enjoyed a slight bump in finishing at the expense of much of his creativity this term.